One Wisdom.

...Many Dharmas​

Buddha-Dharma means, "The way it is; the truth or lawfulness of how things are."  We all have different perspectives and understanding of what this means. My understanding is that some Truths, are the foundation from which many perspectives find their ground.

Follow that seed until there is only one perspective;
​One fundamental Truth... One Body...One Wisdom...

​This world is a moving mandala. Ever-changing, with new waves of complexity in every moment, every experience, every relationship to every object.

---

"The birthright of each of us, includes an opportunity
to realize we are a dance of of light and energy...

We are a living, breathing, laughing,
loving animation of the Divine. "

---

Matrix Dance Studio - 1979 - Darlene Performs Sacred Dance Movements

Darlene Tataryn PhD

A pioneer, Darlene has been doing "the work" since the early 70's and is often referred to as one of the few teachers with integrated Masculine and Feminine teachings.

She trained in Dance Therapy through Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She studied sacred movement patterns under E.J. Gold and eventually practiced Bare Insight (Vipassanna) under Kema Ananda.  Shri Ram Chandra gave her the position of preceptor of Sahaj Marg. She trained under Junpo Roshi as a Mondo Zen Facilitator and under  Upasaka Culadasa as a teacher of the traditional path of Shamatha, who's first teacher happened to also be Kema Ananda.

Her depth insight comes from life as a lay-practitioner, wife, and mother. She has long been working with somatic healing, dance therapy, developmental and expressive movement, and other "mystical" practices in combination with traditional practices of Theravadin, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. 

She is the creator of the Maitreya's Chair and Asaya Yoga; two practices which open this breathing body into receptivity, release tension, realign the spine, and bring the body into natural, blissfully calming, self-healing cycles, promoting deeper meditation practices and more energy for day-to-day life.

As a long time Meditation instructor and Counselor with an Expressive Therapy Bias, Darlene understands and is able to navigate between the disciplines of therapy and meditation.  She is steeped in the understanding of the interconnection and interdependence of all of nature.  As a Zen Priest and Mondo Zen facilitator, she is able to guide and orient healthy ego function to the service of clarity and depth of heart and mind.

Maitreya's Chair
Dimensional Cross Patterns in 10 Directions

This contemplative movement form is a seated practice in which gentle movement releases tension patterns in the hips, spine, neck,  and opens our breathing into fullness.  Maitreya's Chair works to gently move energetic congestion and muscular armouring, releasing defensive patterns and helping heal the wounds such patterns protect. 

This wonderful practice  awakens and vitalizes our whole body providing focus for deep absorption into one's body/mind.  This often leads practitioners to an experience of deep peace and blissful calm.

The Lotus Series (asaya yoga)
 Re-patterning through Movement Meditation

The Lotus Series was born out of years of experimenting with, integrating and expanding upon training and discipline in meditation, nursing, intensive dance therapy at Naropa Institute, dance and psychology studies  at University of Arizona, and Counseling with an Expressive Therapy Bias through Prescott College, Az. It works with Developmental Movement and Improvisational Movement.

The Lotus Series is comprised of three sets of movement patterns:

Lotus Rooting (Developmental Movement)

• Foundation of all movement and yoga forms (these patterns are the natural unfolding of human development from conception to adulthood, reptile to human)

• Neurocellular reprogramming
• Identifies emotional and muscular armouring
• Releases trauma and historical wounding from the body
• Integrates nuances Darlene has developed through work with clients

​Lotus Rising

• Continues the work from Rooting, but focuses on alignment
• Movement Mechanics
• Subtle Energy flow (similar to Qi Gong)
• energizing and smoothing the bio-energy systems of the body

Lotus Blossoming

• Integrates insights form above practices and moves into conscious movement
• free-form, spontaneous, embodied improvisational expression
• Opportunity to tap into collective states of consciousness.

We work with spinal, homologous, homo-lateral and contra-lateral movement combinations which are the foundation of all human movement whether walking, dancing or doing yoga, or any athletic endeavor. Designed to facilitate full range of movement,  spinal alignment, and overall flexibility, balance, and dynamic movement, these movements can be adapted for persons of any age and ability and serve to re-pattern our movement repertoire affecting and supporting our physical, mental, and emotional states.

These patterns are meditative, expressive, and depending on the context...enlivening and fun!

Mondo Zen
A direct path to experiencing and naming the nature of mind in deep Samadhi

Mondo Zen is a meditation system of koan inquiry based on Japanese and Chinese Zen updated for this century and western culture. What is a koan? A koan is a question designed to bring about direct experience of awakened mind . Each of the Mondo Zen koans deconstruct and reconstruct our philosophical orientation so that we might lead a life informed by deep clarity and heartfulness as we meet our self and others in the world. 

There are many philosophies and spiritual traditions that lead us to actualizing our awakened birthright and Zen Buddhism is one such path.  What the western influence and the Mondo Zen process has brought to traditional spiritual practice is the recognition of the necessity to face and experience our emotional life and bring light into the shadow elements of our own conditioned psyche.  

Insight into correct understanding of the nature of mind and the function of our ego structures, leads to conscious choice, reducing reactivity, and helps us live a life that supports enlightened stewardship of our own mind and heart in relationship to all others and our Earth.

The Mondo Zen process involves full heart mind collaboration between the student and teacher and involves mind to mind transmission or resonance and recognition of the clarity, stability, and peace of the natural mind.   There are insight, practice, and emotional koans to explore, individually and/or in a group.  This work often involves embodiment movement practices such as Qi Gong and the Asaya Process.

History
Jun Po (Dennis Kelly), 83rd Zen Patriarch and his Sangha created Mondo Zen which is a dialogue between the teacher and student based on Japanese and Chinese Zen updated for this historical time. It focuses on “in the world engagement” and “direct personal experience”. The philosophical orientation is very simple yet powerfully effective and does not require faith based beliefs. Please visit www.mondozen.org to find out more about Junpo Roshi, and the world-wide Zen community.  

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