WHY VOWZ?

VOWZ was formally established in 2021 with the intention to:

• ENRICH the Zen community by exploring and expressing women’s voices and experience;

• DEMONSTRATE the accessibility and nourishment of the Zen path for women; and, in turn;

• INTEGRATE the woman’s perspective to more fully reflect the Dharma.

VOWZ Gatherings: Our programs and Ritual

Our foundational activities are:

• The Connection: attendees engage in personal sharing through embodiment.

• The Koan Basket: attendees place a question in a basket anonymously. Several "cases" are picked for an open discussion.

• The Matriarch Encounter: Attendees share a story about a woman matriarch and why her story resonates.

• The VOWZ Ritual: Co-created with Dr. Paula Arai, our gathering culminates with The VOWZ Ritual, dedicating our gathered wisdom to all women predecessors, paying homage through chanting and offerings. This ceremony is open to the greater community. To view short videos of this ritual, please see The Ritual page.

  In all our activities and conduct, we recognize each step together as a more complete reflection of Dharma.

OUR MISSION:

Our VOWZ gatherings rely on active participation with openness and a stated commitment to cooperation. We embody this commitment by enacting The VOWZ Ritual.

We join in supportive VOWZ Gatherings to:

• EXPLORE women’s embodiment of Zen practice in open-hearted discussion;

• ENCOURAGE women’s self-reflection in self-trust;

• CREATE a nourishing community that honors women in ritual and resources;

• INTEGRATE women’s expression, experience, and perspective into the fabric of Zen.

Zazen is a regular feature of our gatherings. Depending upon the attendees, we may engage in yoga, hiking, and or other movement practice.

To learn more, please sign up for our NEWSLETTER, below.