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 Natural Awakenings Lancaster-Berks

The Urban Well Welcomes Fall with Zen Buddhism Retreat, Free Yoga Sessions

Aug 30, 2024 09:31AM ● By Sheila Julson

Chair yoga with Jen Burnett

Zen teacher and Jesuit priest Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J., will lead a day of teaching and meditation practice at The Urban Well, located on the historic campus of Saint James Episcopal Church, in downtown Lancaster. Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m. on September 21, 2024, and the program begins at 10 a.m. The cost for the one-day retreat is $75; scholarships are available, and all students will be admitted free.

Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J

As a recognized Zen master by the Buddhist community, Kennedy is a prominent figure in interfaith work and the exploration of Zen Buddhism. Trained in both Japan and the United States, he leads retreats internationally. He is also the author of Zen Gifts to Christians and Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit. 


The retreat will be moderated by Sensei Edward Sullivan of Red Rose Sangha, in Lancaster. Sullivan is a Sensei (teacher) in the White Plum lineage of Zen and a Soto Zen priest with over 40 years of meditation experience. 

Sensei Edward Sullivan

The themes of the retreat day will be further explored in an optional six-session virtual study course on Zen Buddhism and Christianity from September 26 to October 31 through The Urban Well. The program will offer an in-depth look at the insights from Kennedy’s work. The additional six-session series costs $75.


“This is a day that welcomes those of all faiths who want to explore the Zen tradition and meditation practice in dialogue with Christian experience and understanding,” says Kate Brossman, executive director of The Urban Well.

Yoga Studio Launches with New Offerings, Free Classes for All
A new, purpose-built yoga studio allows The Urban Well to expand its Mindful Yoga program.
Under Mindful Yoga, The Urban Well offers four existing gentle yoga classes. New offerings include chair yoga, taught by Jen Burnett, an adaptive and accessible practice suitable for people of any age, flexibility or fitness level, including those whose work life is spent seated. Participants can experience the benefits of yoga while using a chair for support—and have fun in the process.

Embodied spirituality is a gentle yoga that engages the body, heart and mind. Drawing inspiration from authors such as Richard Rohr and teacher Jennifer Lancaster—who holds a Ph.D. in religion and is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher and certified yoga instructor—this practice helps participants connect with the divine within.

Restorative yoga, taught by instructors Stormy or Amanda Lyda, is a practice of deep relaxation that emphasizes the meditative aspect of yoga—the union of body and mind. Using props for support, many of the restorative yoga postures are held almost effortlessly.


Brossman notes that the mission behind the new studio is to expand access to yoga practice and offer embodied spirituality for everyone. The studio welcomes students of all experience levels and abilities. To celebrate the new community-based space, The Urban Well will offer free yoga classes throughout September. After September, each six-class session will cost $60.

The Urban Well at Saint James is located inside Saint James Episcopal Church, 119 N. Duke St., in Lancaster. For more information, call 717-397-4858, email [email protected] or visit SaintJamesLancaster.org/urban-well-contemplativepractices.For the yoga class schedule, visit SaintJamesLancaster.org/urban-wellcontemplative-practices/mindful-yoga-at-saint-james.