Ciska Matthews
In search of something of essential meaning, I discovered zen in the 90s and was immediately captivated. Eventually I ended up in a Zen monastery in Japan, where I stayed for six years. Back in the Netherlands I became fascinated by vipassana and visited many long retreats. My acquaintance with advaita teacher Mooji in 2016 has helped me enormously, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, so to speak. I have been a passionate mindfulness trainer since 2011 and guide small meditation groups in Amsterdam. I also teach hatha and yin yoga. All these different traditions ultimately point to the same truth, in different words and with different methods. All very valuable.
In June 2023 my book was published: 'Memories of Harada Tangen roshi - my years in a Japanese Zen monastery'. Readers call it comforting, inspiring and moving; I am very happy and grateful for that.
Updates
Live Meditation scheduled for 04-03-2025: Becoming Invisible
Live Meditation: Becoming Invisible. With every thought we dwell on, we take on form and experience a certain heaviness. This is actually our normal way of being. Today we make ourselves as transparent as possible; we become very ...
Live Meditation scheduled for 17-02-2025: Sitting like a bottomless barrel
Live Meditation: Sitting like a bottomless vessel. Whatever comes to you, don't hold on to it. Don't let anything really land. Thoughts, feelings, sounds... they flow through you, as it were, like water through a bottomless vessel. Connect your ...
Live Meditation scheduled for 28-01-2025: Sitting like a bottomless barrel
Live Meditation: Sitting like a bottomless vessel. Whatever comes to you, don't hold on to it. Don't let anything really land. Thoughts, feelings, sounds... they flow through you, as it were, like water through a bottomless vessel. Connect your ...
Zen course in Amsterdam
From January 22nd, my partner Stef and I will be leading a six-session Zen course in our lovely space in Amsterdam-Zuid. We will sit for an hour, sing the Heart Sutra and give a Dharma lecture on various themes. Stef knows a lot about ...
Live Meditation scheduled for 27-02-2025: Bodyscan
Live Meditation: Body Scan. We let the attention go through the body and rest in the different body parts. Then you simply notice what presents itself. Feelings reveal themselves and disappear again. This exercise brings concentration, body awareness, peace and a feeling ...
My offer
Mindful Eating – Workshop
September 20, 2024 15.00:17.00 PM - XNUMX:XNUMX PM We sometimes eat too much - or too little - or too ...
Closed for registrations
Memories of Harada Tongs roshi
Publisher: Asoka Autobiographical Report; impression of life in a Japanese Zen monastery, an old Zen master and the Zen tradition. Supplemented with ...
#21 Ciska Matthews
Ciska Matthes lived from 1999 to 2005 in a Japanese Zen monastery. In this episode she speaks with Joost van den ...
Check out my upcoming “offline meetings”
You can view my upcoming offline retreats, meditation days and courses on the 'On Location' page ...
