Zentensive workshops have grown out of the understanding of non-dual meditative practices that lead to deeper samadhi-like experiences also mobilize increasingly profound levels of the unconscious. By bringing together ISTDP-informed understanding of these realms, along with the rich intrapsychic fluidity that arises out of intensive meditation, these workshops help foster significant depths of personal change, and reinforce essential therapist skills in unique and powerful ways.

Zentensives give us the opportunity to learn about, and to experience for ourselves, the dynamic nature of the unfolding unconscious. Because of the powerful collective energy that arises in the midst of these retreats, people often report having a range of insights, openings, and even significant unlockings. For some, Zentensives also offer the opportunity of entering into what might be called “a broader therapeutic landscape,” and of touching into more “spiritual” dimensions of the therapeutic world. This work is essentially all of one piece, and in the depths, all threads of the same fabric…

Zentensives weave together formal talks, didactic and interactive group sessions, slide presentations, confidential one-on-one meetings, and extended blocks of guided and unguided meditation. What’s clear is that the things that lead to deeper meditative states are the same things that mobilize repressed feelings. The deeper the practice, the greater the mobilization. Mobilized feelings mobilize the defensive structures linked with those feelings — in effect they arise together. Once meditative practice crosses a certain threshold, the resistances that arise against feelings often have the same flavor and structure as those that obscure the meditative practice. 

These structures have depth to them, and are often characterological in nature. As they give way, so does the sense of a separate self. Working in this way, resistances become opportunities, and obstructions become doorways. The more fully the bonds of selfhood weaken, the more profoundly we come to experience the wholeness of existence — and as this unfolds we inevitably discover a greater sense of wonder and gratitude in our lives. 

Zentensive Workshop and Retreats, held at Windhorse Zen Community, are for those who feel drawn to exploring the rich intersection of meditation and Western psychology. They offer advanced levels of training for mental health professionals interested in accessing deeper unconscious patterns, as well as for dharma practitioners who may wish to discover a greater understanding of the more hidden dimensions of the psyche.

These trainings take advantage of the natural deepening and openness that comes about as the mind quiets down – and merges this inner silence with a strong psychodynamic perspective. Intensive periods of meditation effectively mobilize the mind on both conscious and unconscious levels. This mobilization works broadly – bringing forth a complex mixture of our innate caring and compassion, along with what are often hidden layers of grief and guilt, love and anger.

As practice continues to deepen, we may see more clearly into those repression-based patterns of thinking and feeling that so often cycle through our lives, and inevitably exert a powerful impact on all that we do. Insights into these embedded energies can lead to significant change, which in turn fosters more focused and sustained meditation. This type of work can hold significance for all practitioners, and for psychotherapists, these insights and openings can have particular value in terms of their work with clients.