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February 2023 by Marc Hall
I love the people and the meditation.
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September 2021 by Mark Templeton
Excellent meditation instruction, wonderfully supportive teachers and community
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September 2020 by Michaella Craig
I have been going for years. Everyone is welcome, including all religious backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, ages, and more. Many opportunities for learning and practicing positive life changing skills. Meditation and nice people too. Many events, presentations, and classes. No pressure. Also no prerequisites to participate in most events. Retreats for people ready for a more immersive experience happen throughout the year on various dates.
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August 2020 by Michael Craig
I have been going for years. Everyone is welcome, including all religious backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, ages, and more. Many opportunities for learning and practicing positive life changing skills. Meditation and nice people too. Many events, presentations, and classes. No pressure. Also no prerequisites to participate in most events. Retreats for people ready for a more immersive experience happen throughout the year on various dates.
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March 2020 by Sandy R.
Started here a few year ago, back when Zen in our culture seemed more popular than mindfulness, before every publishing house was spitting out their monthly book mindfulness on every possible category. I began informally and on the sidelines, but by setting the table with foundational courses like non violent communication, which is a set of ideas about how our minds perceive information based on the unexamined beliefs behind them was my first step in transforming how I naturally, effortlessly respond to life challenges ( most of the time ) -- it taught me I can see the way, but cannot do it. So, drum roll please, failing miserably with NVC provided the felt understanding of motivation for developing a secular practice that would develop my mind's capacity to pay attention earlier than later, for longer vs shorter periods of time, with less intense impulses to act even when I have clarity and finally to see differences when I didn't act so quickly and often on half the info or all the info but wildly skewed. I'm grateful for ZLMC and their courage to create a relevant, practical, non religious spiritual community.
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September 2019 by Todd Neumann
Warm and wonderful place to learn the basics of mindfulness and meditation and/or find a deeper dive into the tenants Buddhism if you wish.
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September 2018 by Robert Lund
I have been attending this meditation center as a member for over twelve years and have found more than I had ever expected. Of course, one gets out of such an organization what one puts into it. The membership is dynamic and engaged in learning about each other and the world around us. The leaders are open to sharing organizational responsibilities with the membership in unique ways.
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September 2016 by Snowlion
I played shakuhachi at the Zen Life Center on two ceremonial occasions. I love the tranquil atmosphere and felt my offering of music was well received. We shared some delightful morsels after the ceremonies and the entire experience was energizing and warm.
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September 2016 by Samuel Ogles
This is a great Zen Center. The staff are wonderful, and the atmosphere is inviting. There's an openness here for anyone from lifetime Buddhists to novices to the merely curious. If you're interested in learning more about Zen, I highly recommend here.
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September 2016 by Julie Kase
Wonderful community! I have taken a lot of great classes here. The retreats are very beneficial to my life. There are many events to enjoy and free meditation sits to go to. The people here have helped my practice grow and encourage me to be a better person. I've never met a teacher like Robert before. He is outstanding. June is also an amazing human being. This center is worth going to.
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September 2016 by Brian Fojtik
I'm really glad that the ZLMC is part of my community. I was excited when they came to Oak Park, I have taken the Primer courses there and found them to be welcoming and supportive for those who have an interest in learning meditation, beginning (or reigniting) a meditation practice and learning to contemplate and live a Zen-inspired life at one's own pace and comfort level.
Both Robert and June are good souls, good teachers and have good senses of humor. The beginning courses are not immersed in barely even touch on dogma. I've found the meditation guidance and instruction to be very helpful to my growth and development. I feel it important to impress upon you that if you have no interest in Buddhism and are an active practitioner in a Christian, Jewish, Muslim or other faith but have an interest in incorporating meditation into your life in a way likely to enhance, rather than question your faith, ZLMC is a good place to pursue that knowledge.
I'll add that when ZLMC first located in Oak Park about a decade ago, I signed up to be a supporting member early on. For most of that decade, I didn't visit or attend. I had other challenges (work, family, travel, life) that made it difficult and perhaps I had hesitancy about walking into a new place and exploring something new. I supported them because I was glad they were in the community and were an option available to me and others. Finally, I was able to arrange my schedule in such a way that it worked with their scheduling of the Primer series classes and I'm very glad I did.
I continue to support them because the investment is modest and is a small way to help them financially sustain their ability to remain in, and provide important services to the community and those who choose to contemplate this path. I look forward to continuing my practice and my education in the Gateway series (which was challenging for my travel schedule last year).
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September 2016 by Sally Ziegler
Absolutely amazing place and people!
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September 2016 by Paul Geiger
We consider this to be one of our beautiful spiritual homes and attend meditation whenever we can.
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September 2016 by Dannielle Shaw
Took Primer Series and a Gateway Series set of classes a couple of years ago and also attended some meditation sessions. Thought it was great. Informative and welcoming.
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September 2016 by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
I love the classes and the welcoming atmosphere. It's a great place, so glad it's in my community!
