Winter Practice Period 2026
Deity Practice - Tracing the Roots of Compassion
with Emyo Darlene Tataryn
Sunday, February 1st, 2026
10:00 am - 2:00 pm ET (New York)
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV
The intention of this half-day zazenkai is to introduce participants to a more traditional version of compassion practice completing the teachings of the Winter Practice Period.
This Retreat will:
Introduce participants to the basic deity compassion practice.
This half-day retreat offers a series of hands-on teachings utilizing the visualization techniques practiced in Karma Kagyu lineage. As a technique for developing compassion, deity visualizations offer a compelling and accessible technique for opening the the heart to broader energies.
Unobscured like a cloudless sky,
remain in a lucid and intangible openness.
Unmoving like the ocean free of waves,
remain in complete ease, undistracted by thought.
Unchanging and brilliant like a flame undisturbed by the wind,
remain utterly clear and bright.
~ Tashi Namgyal
Emyo Darlene Tataryn
A pioneer, Darlene has been doing the work since the early 70's. Her depth insight comes from working deeply with somatic healing, dance therapy, developmental and expressive movement, meditation, and other "mystic" practices. She is the creator of the Asaya Process and Maitreya's Chair; 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.
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.
Darlene's history included the Rinzai Zen Hollow Bones Lineage, The Karma Kagyu Lineage, and Sahaja Marg.
“Have you thought about attending sesshin and never get to it? Well, now you can no longer add the excuse that it is too far to go, or you don’t have time. Here, sesshin comes to your home. You can make even a small part of you own home your meditation hall, and join us in zen practice.”