At Willow Monastic Academy, I lead chanting every day. My voice begins to break, cracking from the effort.
The head monk, Virabhadra, draws me aside in the afternoon to give me feedback. He tells me: “ I want to hear your voice and energy more. Remember – chant like you’re about to have an existential crisis.”

It took a while for me to adjust to Willow, and I am still adjusting 1.5 years after my first day. The training itself consists of adjusting how we live, bringing aspirations and daily living into harmony.

Morning Chanting at Willow This week, we’ve opened up our zendo doors to the online public during our morning period […]

Hello again! We’ve been quiet in our online communications here at Willow, but a lot has been happening this spring and summer. We are launching an exciting array of Fall events, workshops and courses to share the wisdom cultivated here with our beloved global community.