Sunday, January 11, 2026 · 10:00 AM MT · Live & Online
Craft of Zen Essentials
Chapter Two - Essentials of Meditation
Introductory Talk
with Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi
„Imagine being born right now, completely fresh, out of nothing, into this very moment.“ - Baden Roshi
This free, live, introductory lecture is intended to introduce you to the upcoming course "Essentials of Meditation", the next clear entry into the Craft of Zen curriculum.
The Essentials of Meditation deepens the foundations of sitting practice—clarifying how attention stabilizes, how awareness opens, and how meditation becomes embodied in lived experience.
The Essentials series forms an entry point into a systematic Zen training under the guidance of Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi.
When: Sunday, Feb. 1. , 2026 · 10:00 AM MT · Live & Online
Duration: approx. 90 minutes
Join the Opening Event if…
…you are interested in an introduction to the foundations of Zen practice
You are curious about Zen teachings but are not sure where to begin. This event offers a clear and accessible point of entry.
…you would like support in integrating meditation practice into everyday life
You are looking for concrete suggestions that help you integrate Zen practice into your daily activities.
…you want to find out whether the Craft of Zen is the right program for you
Learn how the program supports your practice and offers orientation along a long‒term path.
…you would like to learn more about the Dharma Academy Zen curriculum
For the past years, Baker Roshi and Baden Roshi have been working on presenting the foundations of Zen practice in a clear, step‒by‒step way.
Everything you need to know about the event
📅 Date: Sunday, Feb. 1., 2026 · 10:00 AM MT (Live & Online)
What to expect:
An introduction to Zen practice
A practice suggestion for everyday life
An overview of the Craft of Zen – Essentials series, with a focus on Essentials of Meditation (Chapter Two)
Live Q&A – space for your questions
We look forward to practicing with you.
Testimonials
" When I first saw and heard Nicole speak, something about her resonated with me. I felt an immediate connection and innate trust in her wisdom and compassion. I was drawn in by this experience of what she later termed “shared aliveness.”
- Debra M.
"Zen is easy and not-easy the same time. This was no real news, but this helped me a lot."
- Matthias F.
"Even from my little corner of the world, I am gratefully touched. I am glad and happy and thankfully joyful for your truthful way and effort to share it - it really does make creating and sensing and feeling, living, more beautiful, more alive."
- Rika H.
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.
