March 28 – May 30, 2026
In Person and Online via Zoom
Enrollment opens February 21
Practice Period Enrollment Form
Everyday Zen’s 21st Annual Practice Period takes place March 28 through May 30, 2026, in-person and online via Zoom. It will be led by Zoketsu Norman Fischer and this year’s Shuso (head student), Ryú Gen Myō Ei Tracy Grubbs (Dragon Eye, Inconceivable Shadow Image).
The Practice Period opens with the Shuso Entering Ceremony on Saturday, March 28, following a special half-day sitting at the Community Congregational Church in Tiburon. It closes with the Shuso Hossenshiki (Dharma Inquiry) and Closing Ceremony on Sunday, May 31, also at the Community Congregational Church in Tiburon.
Sesshin will be held May 18 – 24 at Villa Maria del Mar in Santa Cruz. Please see: Bay Area Sesshin 2026
All events of the Practice Period are offered online through Zoom; many are also held in person. We warmly encourage all who are able to attend events in person.
Separate registration is required to attend some events in-person, including the Practice Period Opening. Please see individual event listings in the Events section of the website for details.
Josetsu, Catching a Catfish with a Gourd, ink on paper, Muromachi Period (15th Century). Kyoto National Museum via Wikimedia Foundation.
Theme
Becoming Yourself
Practice period is an opportunity to intensify your daily practice, on your own and together with other members of our sangha. Core events in the practice period are listed below. We encourage you to attend as many of these events as are feasible for you.
The focus for this year’s practice period is becoming yourself.
Over the course of these eight weeks, we’ll be studying two books: the new collection from the lectures of Shunryu Suzuki, Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life, and The Awakening of Faith: Attributed to Aśvaghoṣa, (also available online).
Shunryu Suzuki and his teachings are fundamental to our lineage of Soto Zen and its flowering in our present time and place.
Asvaghosha’s text, translated into Chinese in 500 AD, was written as a comprehensive summary of the essentials of Mahayana Buddhism. We’ll read it as deep background on the principles that animate Suzuki Roshi’s teaching.
Together we’ll study how the deceptively simple act of becoming our true selves has radical implications for our lives and for our world.
The Shuso
Each year, a senior practitioner from the sangha serves as Shuso (Head Student), offering inspiration and guidance while serving as a central point of connection for the practice period.
We are very happy to announce that the Shuso for this year’s Practice Period will be Tracy Grubbs, Ryú Gen Myō Ei (Dragon Eye, Inconceivable Shadow Image).
Tracy is an environmentalist, a multi-faceted artist, a deep thinker, and a long time practitioner at Everyday Zen (she has most recently served as our co-Ino, in charge of ceremonies and the meditation hall). She has also been a volunteer at Zen Hospice, offering compassionate care to people at the end of their lives. We look forward to Tracy’s intelligent leadership, to her talks, her humor, and her deep listening.
Zen practice periods include two important ceremonies for the Shuso. The Shuso Entering Ceremony installs the Shuso into their position. The Practice Period culminates with the Dharma Inquiry Ceremony (Shuso Hossenshiki) during which the Shuso responds to questions from practice period participants. These ceremonies bookend the Practice Period in a beautiful way.
Practice Meetings
Practice meetings and small group gatherings are important ways to support and deepen your practice during the Practice Period.
Practice Partners
Every Practice Period participant will be given a Practice Partner to meet with three or four times during the practice period. These meetings provide a space for sharing intentions and reflecting on your practice and experiences. You may request a specific partner or have one assigned. If issues come up with your Practice Partner, please let the Shuso know.
Guidelines for practice meetings, your Practice Partner assignment, and Shuso contact information will be posted to the Materials for Participants page after the Practice Period opens. A link to this password-protected page will appear at the top of this webpage and in a message to participants after the opening of the Practice Period.
Tea with the Shuso
Small group teas, held both online and at the homes of sangha members in the San Francisco Bay Area, provide opportunities to meet with the Shuso in an intimate setting to discuss your practice.
Dates and locations, with opportunities to sign up for a tea, will be available soon to Practice Period participants on the Materials for Participants page.
Practice Period Events
Practice Period Ceremonies
- Practice Period Opening (March 28 | hybrid): The Practice Period opens with the Shuso Entering Ceremony following a special half-day sitting at the Community Congregational Church, Tiburon.
- Pravarana (May 30 | online): Traditionally held at the conclusion of a practice period, Pravarana is a ceremony of confession and purification.
- Shuso Hossenshiki and Closing Ceremony (May 31, | hybrid): The practice period culminates in the Shuso Hossenshiki (Dharma Inquiry) as the Shuso and sangha bring forth the dharma together in a lively exchange, followed by the Closing Ceremony and a celebration of the Buddhas Birthday.
Other Ceremonies
- Jukai (Lay Ordination Ceremony) & Buddha’s Birthday (April 26 | hybrid): Jukai is a traditional Zen lay ordination ceremony in which students receive and acknowledge the sixteen bodhisattva precepts as an ongoing path in their lives. We also celebrate Buddha’s Birthday with a joyful ceremony.
- Climate Repentance Ceremony (April 22 | online): In this annual ceremony, we read together Thich Nhat Hanh’s profound text, “Falling in Love with the Earth,” with bells, bows, and mindful reflection.
Details on opening and closing ceremonies and other individual events during the Practice Period will be posted to the Events section of the website soon.
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Practice
For dates, times, and links, please see the Schedule of Recurring Events, at the bottom of this page.
- Daily Zazen: Sitting zazen together is the ground of practice period. Morning zazen continues daily on Zoom, 7:30-8:00 AM (PT). To deepen commitment and practice during Practice Period, an additional early morning sit will be offered daily 6:30-7:00 AM, followed by a brief weekday service. On Saturdays, the service will include chanting a sutra, poem, or Dogen fascicle.
- Dharma Seminar: Seminar is a central component of practice period, with lecture and small and large group discussion. Held on Zoom every week, seminar also meets in-person the second and fourth Wednesday at the Community Congregational Church.
- Monthly All-Day Sittings (Apr 11 and May 2 | hybrid): Day-long immersion in silent practice together at Green Gulch Farm and online.
Sesshin
Bay Area Sesshin: Sesshin is an intense meditation retreat lasting from five to seven days. Everyday Zen’s 21st Annual Sesshin will take place Monday, May 18 through Sunday, May 24, 2026 at Villa Maria del Mar in Santa Cruz and online via Zoom.
How to Participate
Commitment
We ask participants to attend several events each week, including:
- Daily Sitting (at least once a day, ideally with the sangha)
- Weekly Dharma Seminar
- Monthly All-Day Sittings
- Meetings with Practice Partners
- Tea with the Shuso
- Pravarana (Confession) Ceremony
- Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Attending Sesshin in person or online is strongly encouraged, but we understand it may not be possible for everyone.
Enrollment
Enrollment opens Saturday, February 21 and closes Saturday, March 14.
To enroll, click the button for Enrollment Form at the top of this page. You’ll receive a confirmation email when your form has been submitted.
Practice Period participants receive priority registration for Bay Area Sesshin (May 18-24), with registration opening February 21. Registration for Sesshin opens to all on March 7.
Practice Period works best when everyone participates fully. Please enroll only if you’re committed to actively engaging in the core activities.
Formal events structure the practice period, but they do not constitute it.
What happens in your body and mind as you live the days, weeks, and months of practice period is what matters most.
Dana
Everyday Zen depends on your financial contributions to offer activities in person and online.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation of $150 or more to help defray the increased costs of hosting practice period. This donation supports the overall coordination and infrastructure of the practice period.
IMPORTANT: Individual events during the Practice Period (Opening and Closing Ceremonies, All-Day Sittings, Dharma Seminar, etc.) have separate suggested donations or fees. Please see each event listing for details.
Thank you! We’re grateful for your support.
Schedule of Recurring Events
Daily
Daily
Early Morning Zazen | virtual
Meeting ID: 818 1405 8944 | Password: Zazen
6:30 AM – 7:00 AM
No Early Morning Zazen during sesshin
Daily
Morning Zazen | virtual
Meeting ID: 818 1405 8944 | Password: Zazen
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
Continues during sesshin
Weekly
Wednesdays
Dharma Seminar | virtual/hybrid
Meeting ID: 875 3717 7726 | Password: 919827
5:00 – 7:00 PM
Mondays
Metta Meditation | virtual
Meeting ID: 818 1405 8944 | Password: Zazen
8:00 – 8:30 AM
Sundays
Everyday Caring | virtual
Meeting ID: 818 1405 8944 | Password: Zazen
8:00 – 9:00 AM
Monthly
All-Day Sittings
Saturday | hybrid
April 11, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday | hybrid
May 11, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thank You!
Thank you for your interest in our annual Practice Period.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to intensify our practice together, supported by the extended family of Everyday Zen practitioners and the leadership of Norman, our senior teachers, and our Shuso.
