Family Practice

Saturday Morning Free Play
Supervised free play is offered free of charge on many Saturday mornings (see schedule below), for 9:40am zazen through lecture. Currently this is being led by Berkeley High student Lihong Chan, so we need to know by dinner time Friday if you are planning to avail yourselves of this on the following day (so she can sleep in if not!). Phone or e-mail Laurie Senauke, 510.845.2215, or lauries@kushiki.org. Coverage for 8:45am zazen instruction and beginner orientation is offered by special arrangement; contact Laurie for more info.

KIDZENDO
Kidzendo is a program for children three and up, offered about twice a month during the school year, usually on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, from 9:30 to 11:15 am. Together, we explore meditation, mindfulness, compassion and some Buddhist traditions in a kid-friendly fashion. We are developing our curriculum from several different sources. BZC resident Tamar has been trained in The Toolbox (website; video) and members Nancy and Jin have been trained in the Mindful Schools curriculum (www.mindfulschools.org). We are also using activities developed by the Plum Village Sangha, led by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh(www.plantingseedsbook.us). We are experimenting with what works best for our situation, which often includes kids of different ages (pre-school through late elementary). Come be part of the adventure! Our program includes songs, stories, discussions, snacks, walks, and art activities. BZC resident Laurie Senauke oversees the program and is available to answer questions and receive input (lauries@kushiki.org).

BZC CAMPOUT- save the date!
You are warmly invited to the annual Berkeley Zen Center Campout, scheduled for July 13 - 14. We've reserved a group campsite in nearby Tilden Park, and will meet for a potluck dinner and possibly a short hike, as well as S'mores and songs around the campfire, followed by oatmeal and coffee/tea/cocoa in the morning. Join us to pass on the campfire rounds we grew up with, tell stories, and learn the latest songs from our own kids. Families and those without children are all welcome. If you prefer not to stay for the night, come for the dinner and company. If you would like to stay but are missing a tent or sleeping bag, let us know, and we can almost definitely find one for you. Contact Katherine O. at klo999@yahoo.com if you have questions, and look for a sign-up on the bulletin board in early July.

Family Practice Email Group
To make it easier to publicize, announce and remind ourselves about family practice activities at BZC, we have a Yahoo group. We’d love to have you join this list if you have children in your life, even if you don’t typically attend family practice events. We promise to only send, at most, ONE email per week, just a short reminder of upcoming events. To join, just email Laurie (lauries@kushiki.org) or Marie (marie_hopper@sbcglobal.net).

And finally, "like" our facebook page:

www.facebook.com/BerkeleyZenCenterParentsNetwork

 

Kidzendo

Upcoming Dates

May:

May 4
Free play


May 11
Sesshin - no program


May 18
KIDZENDO

May 25
Free play

June:

June 1
KIDZENDO


June 7
Childrens' service - pizza dinner

June 8
Free play


June 15
Free play

June 22
Sesshin - no program

June 29
Summer break begins

July:

July 13 - 14
BZC Campout



*July - August:
No Kidzendo, supervised free play offered by appointment

Note that the family activities are subject to change. Please feel free to email Laurie Senauke to confirm.