Session Arts et santé 2026

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Zazen is the posture of awakening passed down from Buddha Shakyamuni through the ages by an unbroken lineage of Buddhas and patriarchs. This ‘simply sitting’ (shikantaza), without purpose or object, allows our thoughts to unite with our breath. In this way, the spirit is supported by nothing, and straightens the human body. Everything becomes presence, the luminous expression of life itself.

Body and mind in unity allow us to naturally adjust each of our actions to all the forms of our daily life. Walking is also Zen, sitting is also Zen. Whether we speak or are silent, whether we move or are still, the body always remains at peace.

During this ‘Arts and Health’ session, zazen will be practised in the morning and late afternoon. It will be the return to the silent source of our true creativity, the return to our true health, what Master Taisen Deshimaru called the ‘return to the normal condition’.

TEACHING

A disciple of master Taisen Deshimaru, Simone Jikō Wolf is abbess of the Kōsetsu-ji temple in Switzerland. She teaches regularly at the Gendronnière temple, where she was abbess in 2017 and 2018, and leads sesshins in Switzerland and Europe. She is actively involved in the International Zen Association as delegate president and member of the Spiritual Council.

SESSION PROGRAMME 

Workshops

• From Saturday April 11 to Wednesday April 15 (5 full days)
• Arrival: Friday April 10 late afternoon, dinner at 8:30pm
• Departure: Thursday April 16 after breakfast
• Mornings: zazen/ceremony/genmai, then workshops. Lunch at 12:30
• Afternoons: Workshops, then zazen and meal.
• Each evening after dinner: a lecture or workshop presentation.
• Wednesday April 15: exhibition of works and festive meal.

Sesshin

• From Friday April 17 to Sunday April 19
• Arrival: Thursday April 16 late afternoon, dinner at 8:30pm.
• Departure: Sunday April 19 after lunch

THE WORKSHOPS

Discover and study of Zen calligraphy and sumi-e

Sensei Deshimaru left us many calligraphies and sumi-e paintings to support his teaching: these are good sources of inspiration for study. Come and try it, even if you feel clumsy and awkward. Shakyo* will also be offered, as well as sketching walks in the forest.

Ines Doshin Igelnick, a disciple of master Jikō Simone Wolf, shares the study of this art in workshops in France and abroad. She also exhibits in galleries and cultural venues and produces large brush performances for all audiences.

Sutra recitation 

If zazen is the heart of our practice, it cannot do without the ceremonies in which the sutras, which are the expression of Shakyamuni Buddha’s awakening, are recited. The words and gestures performed during the ceremonies are dedicated to the Buddha and the patriarchs, as well as to all humanity. This is the very expression of the gift of our practice of Awakening (Dâna Pâramitâ - the first virtue), where wisdom and compassion are not separated.

The nun Dōkō Magali Holzhauer was trained in Nisodo for two years and has been practising for more than twentyfive years with her master Jikō Simone Wolf at the Kōsetsu-ji temple

Kesa sewing

Sewing the kesa is crafting the Buddha’s garment according to the method transmitted since Shakyamuni. By letting go of any desire for decoration or personal innovation, one focuses on each step and each stitch with patience and determination. Unconsciously, naturally, and automatically, this practice transforms our mind. From our efforts emerges the pure garment of the Dharma, and we realize the highest dimension of creativity.

Francoise Laurent has been practicing and teaching kesa sewing for many years, following the method transmitted by Master Kodo Sawaki. She conducts workshops in dojos and during sesshins, particularly at La Gendronnière. In this workshop, she will be assisted by Esther Gyokusan Gerber, a disciple of Jikō Simone Wolf.

Awakening to creation

The ‘Awakening to Creation’ workshop is designed to offer participants a series of surrealist techniques that help to produce images without too much rational control. We will see images being born and play together to construct new ones. Everyone will have the opportunity to explore a variety of artistic materials and techniques in a non-judgmental environment where the emphasis is on the process rather than the end product. Each day of the workshop will have a space dedicated to sharing and deepening the experience.

Ulrike Reiren Weiss zen nun, studied art and visual communication at the universities of Frankfurt and Kassel in Germany. She exhibits her work and carries out art projects in Germany, France, Spain, and Morocco. She currently lives and works (large-format drawings, installations, mixed media) in Freiburg, Germany.

Stefano Seido Minzi obtained a degree in Contemporary Art History in Rome in 2002 and a master’s degree in engraving in London in 2008. He completed his training in art therapy at the ATI in Bologna in 2020. He discovered the practice of Zazen in London in 2007 and continues to practise it today in Rome. Since 2020, he has been following the teachings of Simone Jikō Wolf.

Tai chi chuan

Tai-chi-chuan is originally an internal martial art. According to numerous studies, this age-old discipline maintains good health. What’s more, it’s accessible to everyone. Through slow, relaxed movements, body and mind are brought into harmony. Each movement, performed consciously and in synch with the breath, brings relaxation and fluidity, and improves balance, coordination, concentration and memory.

Virginie Mitsukō Fouillaud has been practising Yang style tai chi and qi gong since 2012. She is a disciple of Jikō Simone Wolf and practices in Kōsetsu-ji and Paris.

Yoga

The movements and postures of yoga as a concrete way of becoming intimate with your own body and breathing, to find a condition of psychophysical balance. Being present at every moment of the practice, in stillness as well as in movement, enables us to get away from the automatisms and preconceived ideas we have about ourselves, which prevent both the quality of movement and the possibility of remaining calm in static postures. What’s more, the movements and postures of yoga are perfectly functional for maintaining the zazen posture, as they make the joints more supple and help the spine to find its verticality.

Elena Jigetsu Ciocca is a Zen nun and a disciple of Master Simone Jikō Wolf. She has been teaching Raja yoga for many years, which has its roots in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, transmitted and commented on by her teachers Moiz Palaci and Renata Angelini in accordance with the teachings of Gérard Blitz and Vimala Takar.

Samu practice

Samu is the generous action essential to the life of the community and the maintenance of the temple. In samu, the spirit of the Way manifests itself when we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to what we do, forgetting ourselves for the benefit of all. You can help to organise the session (cooking, serving, cleaning, etc.) as required.

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