Dana Glaser, Advanced II student

Zendo is an amazing place created from the energy of nature and people. The green of the trees and the river blue inspired deep serenity in me. It takes awhile to get used to the silence of Zendo. The silence expressed during meals is something I am not accustomed to. The vegetarian food I found to be tasty and balanced while surprisingly it also helped me loose some weight. Only after a few days I adjusted to the rhythm and timetable of Zendo. A gong woke me at 5:30am, signaling the time to change into Gi's (study clothing), quickly eat and move on to the day's rituals. Advanced II students arrive stressed and worried about exams. After arriving the stress melted away. We enjoyed swimming and rowing in the lake, and also having fun at the party and "pasta nights." Special and strong bonds formed between us after eight nights of living and studying under the same roof, even though we all came from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. The last day was difficult for me, saying our good-byes and not knowing when we will see and meet again This is a good opportunity to thank the team of Ohashi and the monastery team for sharing this wonderful experience with me.

Kelly Atlas-Bauche, Advanced II student

Nature, Discipline, and Art: My Zendo Experience To me Ohashiatsu is an art and a discipline. It is a practice that evolves and improves through each encounter of touch. The hands-on part is just the icing on the cake. What is below the surface, the base, the fundamentals, are what I found exemplified in the Dai Bosatsu Zendo monastery: beauty, grace and regimen. The Zen way has respect for everything, shown in the way one eats, the way one sits and the coordination with nature. The enormous beauty of the monastery first struck me as I pulled into the grounds. The structure of the monks' way of life fascinated and influenced me. My body at first ached then relished the regimen.The course I took mirrored this way of life by emphasizing respect for one's self and others. Since I first started learning Ohashiatsu it has never just been about how to manipulate a body. Foremost for me it is a way of looking at life, a way of living life. The Zendo was exactly that: art, discipline and nature at its best!

Gwyneth Catlin, Advanced II student

There's something about the Zendo that gives so much energy. It's probably a combination of the purity and spirituality of the environment, the community, the structure, and the silent meals - it's immediately transformative. I have to admit, at home, getting up in the morning is almost always a struggle for me; at the Zendo, I was amazed at how easy it was. No matter when I'd gone to sleep - and wonderful late-night conversations often made that very, very late - I bounced out of bed at an hour that I rarely see. I loved listening to the thrum of the chanting as I woke up (I have to admit I never made it to the 5:30 a.m. meditation!).

The classes were rigorous but never exhausting. It was a pleasure to study in a place without distractions, and to get to know people I'd talked with only briefly in other classes. Outside, it was wonderful to walk down the driveway and see the creatures: salamanders, toads, moles, lots of chipmunks (indoors and out), and deer. It's a peaceable kingdom. The most difficult part of the week was the last day. It was very emotional to leave the family of the class, and to know that, because I live in Boston, I probably won't be seeing them again very soon. I feel so grateful to the Ohashi Insitute for giving us this opportunity to study and meditate in such a peaceful and pristine place

Birgitta Zeederberg, COC from Sweden

As always I am looking forward to the week at the Zendo with excitement and anticipation. Each time it is different but I alwys leave with a feeling that something in my life has changed and I bring some of the peace and quiet back with me to my ordinary life.

The bus ride going there, getting to know the others, settling in your room, getting to know your room-mate, first meal in silence, excellent food, rituals, robes, beautiful surroundings, nature, animals, reverent atmosphere, incence, classes, emotions. Slowly you are adjusting to the rythm of the schedule, aching body in the middle of the week, the stress of life melting away , faces becoming more relaxed and open as the week continues. And finally the party, a lot of laughter and warmth. Many new friends and wonderful people.

Back on the bus going home there´s a warm and appreciative felling inside and I am very happy to have been able to be part of this experiece and I am already looking forward to the next time.

Thank you and Gasho

Lawrence May, Adv II student

"The most outstanding feature of my stay at the Zendo was the exceptional quality of my fellow students; each one a healer, each one a remarkably warm, unique, colorful and multi-faceted individual. I was honored and uplifted to be among them and will cherish our many experiences together for a lifetime. Equally amazing was the character and personality of Ohashi Sensei himself. Generous, exuberant and boundlessly energetic, I was, to my great joy, repeatedly charmed and moved by his open-heartedness and deep commitment to our growth and development. Alternately humble and supremely self-confident, he is a captivating teacher and a delight to be around. I honestly feel that none of us could ever adequately thank him for everything he has done to make this extraordinary modality of Ohashiatsu available to all of us. Yes, I have completed my Advanced 11 course work, but am only just beginning to understand."

Joshua Pittman, COC

"Ohashiatsu at Zendo is a wonderful experience and a perfect environment to learn in. We were surrounded by clean air, green forest, and friendly faces. Taking time away from the worries of work and other stresses of the city allowed me to concentrate deeply on the class and on how I was feeling. Being in such a peaceful environment I was really able to take down my protective barriers and let my true self shine." Thanks,

Tom Okada - Intermediate II Student

Quiet. When I embarked on the trip to the Zendo, I was in desperate need of quiet. Living in New York City was beginning to wear me out. I got to a point where I was having a hard time going to a restaurant because I couldn't stand the constant loud chatter of many people at the same time.

Well, I got what I asked for and more. The silent meals, the extremely quiet meditations, the lack of motor vehicles and the inability of cell phone reception gave me just what I needed at this time in my life. I think it is funny that when I sat on the back porch by the lake I tore a piece of paper in half and someone sitting nearby quickly turned her head to see what happened. I said to her, "Isn't it amazing that the noisiest sound around here is a piece of paper ripping and it sounds so loud that you are startled by it."

I remember during the orientation someone said that noise distracts us from the stuff in our lives that we need to deal with. When meditating in silence sometimes these things resurface. Being in the Zendo together with all of you was a great place to be because of the support everyone gave to each other. The word, "hypothermia" comes to mind because it exemplifies on how everybody's love, concern and warmth helped one person out of a crisis.

This was my first experience studying with Sam Berlind. Sam is a wonderful teacher whose encouragement and patience I truly appreciate. I am always amazed to watch Sam demonstrate because he makes Ohashiatsu look so easy and effortless like a dance with many smooth transitions. Seeing Sam's hands move "like flippers" helped me understand a very important part of Ohashiatsu- to let your hands melt onto the surface of the body. It will take me many practice classes and studying to absorb and assimilate what I have learned.

It was also very special and fun for me to do the comedy skit with Sam. I want to comment once again on Sam's skill with smooth transitions because he really created a way to transition from one joke to the next to make the skit smooth and conversational.