Tallahassee Chan Center

06/02/2026

June at the Tallahassee Chan Center brings a full schedule of practice and community.

Weekly meditations continue Monday evenings (6:30–8pm, Zoom and in-person)
Wednesday nights for deep sits and personal consultations, and Sunday mornings for seated meditation and Q&A with GuoGu. The Lotus Sutra Dharma Discussion Group meets Thursdays online
Daily Zoom sits run every weekday morning.
Join us June 29th for our monthly sangha social.
A few notes for the month: regular meditations are paused May 31 through June 4, resuming Sunday, June 7. Monday night sessions on the 1st and 3rd Mondays will focus on loving-kindness practice.

Looking ahead, applications are open for the August 7-Day Retreat with GuoGu at the Tallahassee Chan Center, and registration is open for the four-part Healing Through Practice workshop beginning August 9th.All are welcome. Link in bio for the full schedule and registration.

05/15/2026

Registration open!⁠
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Sundays Aug 9, 16, 23, 30⁠
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Join us this August for Healing Through Practice, a four-week Chan workshop led by Dewaine Rester for anyone navigating illness, pain, fear, grief, caregiving, or the ongoing uncertainty that can arise in difficult times. Together we will explore embodied Chan practice through seated meditation, slow walking, 8-form, posture and breath awareness, guided relaxation, and loving-kindness practice. No prior experience or chanting is required, and all practices are accessible with chair options and varied pacing.⁠
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The workshop takes place Sundays from 2:00–3:30 PM Eastern on August 9, 16, 23, and 30, both in person at the Tallahassee Chan Center and online via Zoom. Core themes include responsibility, diligence, and curiosity — learning to reduce avoidable suffering, stabilize attention, and meet life clearly and compassionately through practice. Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link by email.⁠
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Register:⁠
https://tallahasseechan.secure.retreat.guru/program/healing-through-practice-a-four-week-workshop/?form=1&lang=en

05/11/2026

05/06/2026

7 Day Retreat Applications Now Open⁠
July 31 - Aug 7 2026⁠
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In the Chan tradition, there are two main approaches to awakening: the method of silent illumination (mòzhào) and investigating a critical phrase (huàtóu). The former is a settling method of serene reflection on the nature of awareness; the latter is an explosive approach that aims to concentrate and shatter all mental states so awakening manifests. This 7-day retreat will deepen your practice, regardless of method, with 30 minute sitting meditation periods punctuated by mindful yoga and walking meditation. There will be daily Dharma talks by Guo Gu, and opportunities for personal consultations to practice. Vegetarian meals will be provided.⁠
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It will follow our standard intensive retreat schedule, which includes alternating periods of sitting meditation, standing yoga, and walking meditation.⁠
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In-Person Retreat Guidelines⁠
The Tallahassee Chan Center has a limited number of beds reserved for retreatants in gender-separated housing. You are also welcome to commute in. We also have camping grounds for those who wish to stay on the 5-acre lot. If you wish to stay at the center before and/or after the retreat, please email us to make arrangements.⁠
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Apply Here:⁠
https://tallahasseechan.secure.retreat.guru/program/august-seven-day-retreat-in-person/

05/04/2026

Today, Monday May 4

Monday Night Loving-Kindness Meditation

1st & 3rd Mondays · 6:30–8:00 PM (ET)
In person at the Tallahassee Chan Center or online via Zoom. All are welcome.

For the next few months, our Monday night Dharma talks (1st & 3rd Mondays) will take a different form. Instead of a talk, our sangha will practice a loving-kindness (mettā) meditation.

Through this guided meditation, rooted in Chan teachings, this practice cultivates a mind of kindness free from anger, extending care first to ourselves and gradually to others, both near and far, including those who may be struggling or in pain. It is a steady and grounded way to support the sangha and the wider community during a period of collective strain.

Practice format

30 minutes of loving-kindness directed toward oneself

Short break

20–30 minutes of loving-kindness extended to others, especially those who are struggling

Details and link:
https://tinyurl.com/2mcwex7e

04/22/2026

Guo Gu the benefits of communal living as a Buddhist sangha and connects it's importance to Chan Buddhism taking root in the West.⁠
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Taken from his the second part of his "Sangha As An Alternative Community" talk - watch here: https://youtu.be/zlbX1l9iNtg?si=MFi_BNFpCifJBZjh

04/17/2026

Tonight, April 17 - Evening Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony Recitation⁠
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The Tallahassee Chan Center will host a monthly ceremony on the third Friday of each month. ⁠
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For more information and Zoom links, please go here. ⁠
https://tallahasseechan.org/friday-ceremony/

04/11/2026

Tomorrow Sunday, April 12th | 9:30-11:00am | In-Person and Online

Returning to the Body: An Introduction to Embodied Healing
This 90-minute introductory class, presented by Dewaine Rester, offers a practical look at embodied experience through the lens of health and healing. The focus is simple: learning how to come back into direct contact with the body so that breath, posture, sensation, and attention become supports for steadiness rather than things we ignore until stress takes over. Drawing from meditation, gentle awareness practices, and lived experience, this class serves as the entry point for a later four-part series. The aim is not just to talk about healing, but to give participants something real to work with. Everyone will leave with a simple practice they can use in daily life to return to the body, calm the system, and meet difficulty with more clarity and less reactivity.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pWQW368ZRU666P965Er4rQ #/registration