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Offered languages
- English
- French
- Spanish
This Zen workshop offers a truly unique opportunity to experience mindfulness in a calm, natural setting, not inside a temple, but by the riverside, surrounded by trees and fresh air.
It’s designed not just as a tourist activity, but as a genuine introduction to Zen practice. Participants are guided step by step through the basics of zazen (seated meditation) in a way that is easy to understand and approachable, even for beginners.
Rather than focusing on strict formality or religious rituals, the workshop emphasizes how Zen can be part of everyday life. You’ll learn how to carry the mindset of calm and awareness with you. Not just during your trip, but back home as well.
The experience concludes with a peaceful tea time, where you’ll enjoy seasonal Japanese sweets and freshly whisked matcha, allowing your mind and body to gently return to the flow of daily life.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
This experience takes place at Root2 Riverside in Takao. From Kyoto Station, take the JR Takao/Keihoku Line bus bound for Toganoo and get off at Makinoo . Walk 4 min to the venue. From Shijo-Karasuma, take City Bus #8 bound for Takao, get off at Takao or Makinoo, and walk 3–5 min.
What to expect
Unlike typical zazen sessions held inside temple halls, this private meditation takes place on an open air riverside deck, where the sounds of flowing water, morning breeze, and seasonal scenery become part of your inner stillness.
Led by a respected Zen instructor who has spent decades guiding practitioners at Kyoto’s most historic temples and shrines, this experience goes far beyond posture and breath.
Structured like a workshop, it mirrors authentic Zen training, encouraging personal reflection and offering tools to integrate mindfulness into your daily life.
Zazen is not treated as something sacred or separate. It's shared as a practice that anyone can bring into ordinary moments.
After the session, enjoy a quiet moment with premium Uji matcha, served alongside seasonal wagashi.
It’s not a formal tea ceremony, but a peaceful, mindful way to close the experience.
Throughout the experience, an English speaking cultural guide accompanies you, offering real-time interpretation and cultural insight, ensuring that language is never a barrier to understanding the depth of this practice.
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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