Saturday, May 30 · 11am – 1pm ET

Something is pulling at you. A calling to find peace, or meaning... or both.

Maybe it's an unspoken restlessness within a life that is fine in many aspects.

Or maybe it's the sense that you're moving through your days too quickly — busy and productive, but feeling that there should be something more. You may have heard the word "Zen" a hundred times and wondered what it actually means, beyond the coffee mug messages and the corporate wellness posters.

This workshop is for people who want to find out.

Zen Buddhism is one of the oldest and most practical wisdom traditions in human history — not a religion based on faith in the unknown, not a set of rules to follow, but a way of seeing clearly our wonderful life, even in the middle of the noise and changes of daily life.

The lotus flower, one of Buddhism's enduring symbols, grows from mud and through muddy water. And yet, it appears suddenly above the water and opens fresh and pure. We can do so, as well, in the midst of all our activities.

In this two-hour live workshop, David B. Alexander — a licensed psychotherapist who has practiced Zen for over 50 years — will walk you through the core teachings of Buddhism and what they actually mean for the way we live, think, and relate to ourselves and others. There will be a brief, accessible history of Buddhism — where it came from and how Zen emerged from it.

In this interactive webinar you'll start to explore:

• The Middle Way — the art of finding peace and fulfillment without rigid extremes or rigid ideas
• The Four Noble Truths — Buddhism's foundational insight into why we suffer, and the genuine possibility of moving past that
• Meditation — in two short practice intervals
• The Eightfold Path — a practical framework for living in a way that benefits yourself and everyone around you
• The Three Treasures — the supports that keep a practitioner grounded and moving forward in a healthy way

This isn't a philosophy lecture. It's a living conversation about how ancient wisdom applies to modern life — your relationships, your work, your inner world, your search for meaning. There will be space for questions and genuine dialogue throughout.

About David

David B. Alexander is a licensed psychotherapist who has practiced Zen since 1970 — studying with teachers at the New York Zen Center in the '70s and '80s, and more recently as an active practitioner at Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, NY. He has been personally encouraged to offer public teachings by Enkyo Roshi (Pat O'Hara) of Village Zendo and Zen Master Wu Kwang (Richard Shrobe) of Chogye Zen Center.

He is also a 40+ year practitioner and teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, and a licensed psychotherapist whose clinical work draws on principles of gestalt therapy, existential therapy, and Nonviolent Communication.

When David teaches Zen, he isn't translating something he read. He is sharing something he has lived.

Psychotherapy sessions are available online across New York State, and in person in Roslyn Heights, NY. A free 15-minute consultation is available for those curious about individual therapy. All inquiries are confidential.