The Valley Heartland Zen Group is based in Modesto, about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco, in the Central Valley of California. The group serves residents from the wider Modesto community, including Merced, Stockton, Turlock, and Los Banos. The group meets weekly on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Church of the Brethren, 2301 Woodland Ave in Modesto. The evening session includes two 30 minute periods of zazen (sitting meditation), a brief period of walking meditation, a Zen talk, and tea. In addition, the Valley Heartland Zen Group regularly holds half-day and one-day meditation retreats.
Contact: 1-209-535-6750 (Andy Young)
*Please do not use the number listed with Google Maps below, which lists the main church phone number
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Do’on Andy Young is a founding member of the Valley Heartland Zen Group, serving in a variety of positions for the group. Andy began Zen training with Myoan Grace Schireson in 2001 and received Lay Ordination in March of 2004. He served as Shuso for the Central Valley Zen groups during the summer of 2005 and was ordained a Zen priest in September of 2008. He grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California, studied Contemporary Continental philosophy as a graduate student, and is now a Professor of Philosophy at CSU, Stanislaus where he teaches a variety of courses including Eastern Philosophy. He is a father who enjoys hiking, writing, playing blues piano, and the challenge of bringing Zen practice into lay life.
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Ezo Doug Wilson is also a founding member of the Modesto Valley Heartland Zen Group. He received Lay Ordination in March of 2004 and was ordained a Zen priest in December of 2005. He served as Shuso in 2008. In 2005 Ezo spent nine months at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County and in 2006 did two practice periods at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Ezo currently lives in Modesto and is a carpenter by trade.
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Tom Hawkins is a member of the Valley Heartland Zen Group, and has worked in a number of service positions in the local recovery community.
He is an exhibiting artist, and cultivates a small olive farm in Modesto. Tom received a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Virginia in 1992.
Tom takes the path of Zen and the 12 steps as he seeks a way to be fully present- in this moment- for himself, his family, and others.
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