Craft of Zen
Essentials
Essentials of Meditation
Now that you’ve begun — exploring the subtler aspects of Zen practice
‘Essentials of Meditation’ is the second chapter in the Craft of Zen,
a Zen training program under the direct guidance of Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi.
This live, three month chapter begins February 15th 2026
and includes live lectures, question and answers, and curriculum support.
Once You Sit Regularly
Once you’ve begun to sit regularly, whether it’s been four days or forty years, questions arise. Questions that come from inside the practice itself. Questions like: How does attention actually stabilize?
What is the process of the observing mind? When does "just sitting" become something other than effort?
These questions matter. They're also the ones that often go unanswered.
What This Course Offers
This course studies what actually happens in meditation. Not what we think it should be, but what it really is.
We will explore how attention transforms through Shikantaza: from focused beam to open field to pulsing, receiving, releasing space.
We will work with the distinction between consciousness and awareness, the five skandhas, and the cultivation of what Tatsudo Roshi calls SPACE: a mind that is Still, Present, Allowing, Clear, and Empty.
By examining the five hinderances, we will explore the mind that observes, establishing its stable, unwavering presence. Supported in this way, we inquire in stepping out of the thinking mind—without losing access to thought.
This is meditation as craft: precise, repeatable, learnable. Zen teachings not as beliefs, but as practice proposals you test in your own experience.
What awaits you?
As the opening section in The Craft of Zen training program, the “Essentials” series looks at how the fundamentals of Zen practice integrate within our everyday life. It is a foundational teaching in Zen that the 'essentials' embody the very core of practice from the start. In this respect, this program is suitable both for beginners and as a way for experienced practitioners to deepen their practice.
Monthly Live Talks
➔ Inspiring talks with Baden Roshi
➔ Lifetime access to recorded talks so you can access them again at your own time and pace
Weekly Practice Inspirations for Everyday Life
➔ Weekly practice inspirations and tips, connected to the lecture theme of the month
➔ Support your daily practice at home
Accompanying Study Material
➔ A structured guide to support your practice
Community Ticket
(optional, available monthly for $9)
Daily Online Meditation
➔ Online Zendos from the centers
➔ "All-Around Zen" morning meditation
Q&A Sessions with Tatsudo Roshi
Live, interactive sessions once a month on Wednesdays.
Community Forum
Participants are warmly invited to connect, share experiences, and even initiate their own practice-deepening group activities, creating a supportive and inspiring space.
Access to the Dharma Academy Library
A digital library of English Dharma talks and study materials
For Whom
This is a course for everyone who intends to sit regularly—whether you’re at the beginning of a regular practice or have been sitting for years.
However, it is assumed that you have already had some basic introduction to sitting meditation. This way, you already have an exposure into what we are exploring.
If you’re looking to start from the very beginning, try on Nicole’s 3 day, free course “You’ve Started to Meditate, But Something is Missing.” This is ample preparation for ‘Essentials of Meditation’.
Craft of Zen
Essentials of Meditation is the second chapter of 9 chapters of Craft of Zen. You find an overview of all chapters here.
Essentials of Meditation
Core Themes
The Transformation of Attention
From mental flashlight to field of mind to wisdom space—how the very nature of attention changes through practice
Stabilizing the Mind
The stages of development: from constant effort to self-sustaining practice to complete absorption (Samadhi)
Field of Mind vs. Contents of Mind
The crucial distinction: you are not what arises, you are the space in which it arises
Consciousness and Awareness
Understanding the difference between the structured, self-referencing mind and the open, category-free awareness that can transform it
The Five Skandhas
How we construct our reality—and how to practice backwards, from consciousness toward immediacy
Working with Difficulties
The five hindrances, strong emotions, and what to do when the mind collapses into its contents
SPACE as Practice
Cultivating a mind that is Still, Present, Allowing, Clear, and Empty
Chapter 2: Essentials of Meditation
Early-bird price valid until 12.31.2025, including a $15 reduction across all price categories.
We also warmly encourage adding the Community Ticket for $9 monthly, which gives you full access to additional Q&A sessions with participants in other Dharma Academy programs.
$182 $197
Standard price (one‒time payment)
$222 $237 Supporter (one-time payment): Support our work. This option also supports a fellow practionner to take the course.
$142 $157 For low income (one‒time payment): We trust your self-assessment—no proof required.
- Monthly Live Talks
- Practice Inspirations for Everyday Life
- Accompanying Study Material
Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi,
is a Dharma successor of Zentatsu Richard Baker Roshi and has been practicing with the Dharma Sangha since 2001. She studied psychology at the University of Oldenburg until 2009, while simultaneously training in the somatic therapeutic method Body-Mind Centering©.
Following her studies, she spent four years at the Crestone Mountain Zen Center in Colorado, USA. Since 2013, she has been active at the Zen Buddhist Center Schwarzwald, moving fluidly between the two centers as part of her ongoing practice and teaching. Nicole is also the founder and guiding teacher of the Dharma Academy, bringing her vision and experience to its development.
In September 2024, she officially succeeded Richard Baker Roshi and has since been serving as abbot, guiding the spiritual direction of the Dharma Sangha.
FAQs about Craft of Zen
Do I need prior knowledge of Zen to participate?
No. The program is aimed at both beginners and experienced practitioners who want to deepen their practice.
What does Zen practice involve in the course?
You will learn silent meditation, mindfulness, the basic principles of Zen, as well as practices for self-regulation and inner stability.
Can I also ask my questions in one-on-one meetings?
Yes, individual consultations with Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi can be booked separately and are offered on a donation basis.
Do you have any questions
or need help with booking?
Zuzu Myers,
English Language Courses
Valerian Hauffe,
All Around Programs
