Start Here
New to Zen? You are welcome here.
If you have never sat before, this is the page for you. Greenville Zen Center is a small, welcoming Zen community in Greenville. Here is exactly what your first morning holds, so you can arrive at ease.
Why people come
People come to sit for many reasons: stress, grief, anxiety, a season of change, loneliness, simple curiosity, or the quiet wish to meet life more steadily. Zen does not promise a quick fix. It offers something plainer and more lasting: a place to sit down, be present, and return to your life with a little more honesty and care.
You do not need to arrive with a reason at all, or with any experience, any belief, or any special clothing. Curiosity is enough.
We sit at Cancer Survivors Park Center for Hope & Healing in Greenville. Park free in the public lot at 44 Cleveland Street; the building where we sit is at 52 Cleveland Street, a short walk down the hill. From the lot, come down toward the river and the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
Our entrance is the building beneath the large white sculpture that looks like a circus tent, on the Swamp Rabbit Trail by the river. There are restrooms inside, and we gather quietly in a small anteroom as we arrive.
Please silence your phone, or leave it in the car, and lock any valuables in the car as well. As you come in, slip off your shoes, keep your voice low and soft, and let the room stay quiet. These small courtesies are how a zendo holds its stillness.
Once you are inside, enter softly and take any open cushion or chair. You may notice small forms, like a standing bow with palms together, called gassho. None of it is required knowledge, and no one expects you to know it; you will be guided through everything, gently.
What to look for: cross the bridge to the building beneath the spire, on the Swamp Rabbit Trail by the river. That is our entrance.
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Dark, plain colors without distracting patterns or designs are best, and please avoid perfume or strong scents, out of care for those sitting near you. You are welcome to bring your own cushion or bench; cushions and chairs are provided too.
Silence your phone before you come in, and leave it in the lockers with your shoes. The quiet of the room will help you forget it.
I have never meditated. Is that okay?
Completely. The 8:00 orientation exists exactly for you. We will show you how to sit, what the bells mean, and what the morning holds.
Can I sit in a chair?
Yes. Chairs are always available, and sitting in a chair is a complete way to practice. A steady, upright, comfortable posture is the only aim.
Are children welcome?
Our sittings are silent and still, which asks more than most young children can comfortably offer, so they are adults-only. You are very welcome anytime you can slip away for an hour.
Sunday, August 2, 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Cancer Survivors Park Center for Hope & Healing, Greenville. We sit in the building at 52 Cleveland
Street; free public parking is at 44 Cleveland Street. Free to attend,
beginners welcome, adults. New? Arrive about ten minutes early, by 7:50,
for the 8:00 orientation. Bring your own cushion if you like, or use one
of ours.
Accessibility
The park has free public parking in an accessible lot, and a path leads down the hill from the lot to the entrance on the Swamp Rabbit Trail by the river. Chairs are always available, and sitting in a chair is a complete way to practice. If you have a question about access, write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure you have what you need.
