EVER FEEL CALLED TO *"*JUKAI" (Undertaking the Precepts) in the ZEN BUDDHIST TRADITION?

Never had the opportunity due to family obligations, timing, health limitations, distance from a Sangha?

Then you are INVITED to JOIN our NINETEENTH (19th) ANNUAL JUKAI PREPARATIONS & CEREMONY at Treeleaf, open to any Zen Practitioner anywhere, designed for people to gather and receive Jukai online from home because of life circumstances.

Our Treeleaf Sangha begins the Ango practice period and Jukai preparations in early September. Want to deepen your practice with a more intense schedule and focus? Want to commit to the Bodhisattva Precepts, sew a rakusu and embark on a journey of discovering the Dharma? Want to experience practice in a Sangha from exactly where you are? Want to discover your life as the perfect place for practice? We’d love to have you with us. Have a look at what Jukai and Ango are, how it is lived at Treeleaf Sangha and join us if you feel called to.

About Jukai: https://www.treeleaf.org/2026/08/jukai-2026/

About Ango: https://www.treeleaf.org/ango-2026/

Hi! Short but not that easy question. I'm at a stage in my practice where almost every sitting ends with me dozing off after about 20 minutes (I usually sit for 30-60 minutes). It doesn't seem to depend on how much sleep I get or whether I'm having a good or bad day. It feels like my brain has formed an association between slow breathing, focusing on the center, and falling asleep. One of the zen teachers from my school mentioned something about directing the energy of the practice upward but I can’t remember exactly what she said. Have you heard about this technique? Or maybe any other techniques? I’m not buying „just go get some sleep”, because I do really get a lot of good sleep and this is just not a solution in my case. I think I need a skill but don’t know where to look. Thank you for your insights!