About Us

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In November 2020, during the long hush of the Covid shutdown, a seed was planted. It began as a quiet wish from Andy Robins Roshi — to gather a community in the European time zone that could reflect the spirit and teachings of Chosei Zen in Spring Green, Wisconsin. In time, that wish took form.

A year later, seven of us stepped into a forty‑nine‑day online training period, meeting each day to sit zazen and to practice okyō, shodō, Tai Chi, and our Zen Ten stretches. For many, it was a first true taste of shugyō—training that forges the heart, reaches into every corner of one’s life, and asks for nothing less than wholehearted presence.

Since then, our rhythm has deepened. We sit through the night for Rohatsu, gather for weekend Zazenkai, take up the steadier commitment of Keishin, and meet twice a year for sesshin in spring and autumn. We have been fortunate to find a quiet place in Cornwall for sesshin — a place where the days open wide, the wind moves through the trees, and practice can settle without hurry. 

  Practice here points toward realising that you are not separate — not from your own experience, not from others, and not from the living world around you.
It is not a path of self‑improvement or belief.
It is the easing of what clouds the taste of life.
It is giving the mystery room to breathe.

Practice is simple:
showing up — quietly, truthfully, together.

We sit to meet the mind as it is.
We breathe to remember the ground beneath us.
We bow to recognise what we often overlook.
We move, walk, chant, and work in ways that return us to immediacy — to the unfiltered experience of this moment.

There is no polishing yourself into someone else’s shape.
No performance.
No pressure to understand everything.
Just the steady willingness to live from your whole being, one breath at a time.

Clear, honest, unforced.

   At Wandering Ox, we offer a range of opportunities to explore Zen practice, whether you are completely new to meditation or have been walking this path for many years.

Seated Meditation (Zazen)  – register here.

Quiet sitting shared across rooms, rivers, and time zones, offered live on Zoom.

A simple posture, a steady breath, a place to sit and meet your own life without pretence, pressure, or performance. Our regular online zazen sessions provide a steady rhythm of practice and an opportunity to sit alongside others in silence and companionship.

Introductory Sessions

If you're new to Zen, we'd be delighted to meet you.

We offer simple one-to-one introductory Zoom conversations where you can ask questions, learn the basics of zazen, and get a feel for our community before joining a group session. There are no expectations and no prior experience required—just an opportunity to say hello and explore whether the practice feels right for you.

We will guide you through everything you need to know to begin practising comfortably from home.

Teachings & Workshops

Practice does not happen apart from everyday life.

Throughout the year we offer online workshops and teaching sessions exploring how Zen can take root in ordinary circumstances—in the midst of work, family life, relationships, uncertainty, and change.

Drawing on traditional Zen teachings, we offer guidance plainly and without mystique: old words made usable here and now, for anyone willing to listen.

Retreats & Practice Days

We also offer a number of in-person and online retreats throughout the year, including Zazenkai, Keishin, and seasonal sesshin.

These gatherings create space to deepen practice, reconnect with yourself, and spend time with others walking a similar path. Whether online or at our retreat space in Cornwall, retreat days unfold through quiet rhythm, shared practice, silence, conversation, and simple companionship.

For a little while, we walk the same road together.

New to practice? No experience is required.

Whether you come feeling curious, uncertain, experienced, or simply in need of a place to pause, you are welcome here.

Come as you are.

To arrange an introductory conversation or learn more, visit our Contact page or send us a message. You can also explore upcoming opportunities on our Events page.