What if you had a daily meditation practice? How would your life change?

At SittingLab, we sit together daily to co-create a wiser, more compassionate future for ourselves and all living beings. creator

SittingLab's Inspiration:

My teaching is not a philosophy. It is the result of direct experience. My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship.

— The Buddha

In an era of distraction, nothing is more radical than being fully present.

When you are fully present for every moment of your life, everything is different.

You see different, think different, feel different, work different, create different, and care different. You'll meet each moment with greater kindness, compassion, and wisdom. When fully present for what's happening, you're alive. You're awake. You're ready.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world.

— Joanna Macy, Buddhist teacher

In an era of uncertainty, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.

Sitting still is embracing change and uncertainty. It's letting go and letting come. It's getting grounded and bigger, like a mountain.

Sitting still is meeting uncertainty with the expansiveness of not knowing. This is a beginner's mind that goes beyond knowing to see possibility and respond with curiosity, clarity, and wisdom. Sitting still grows your capacity to meet uncertainty with agility and ease.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.

— Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Buddhist teacher

In a time of isolation, nothing is more intimate than sitting with friends.

In the experience of sitting, you lose a sense of separateness and cultivate a recognition of connection and belonging.

In the collective experience of our silent presence, a quietly powerful sense of community emerges and becomes the basis for meaningful friendships. Sitting silently creates a safe environment that enables us to support, encourage, and inspire each other's practice path.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

Meditation practice in the 21st Century should become a collective practice. Without a community of friends, we cannot achieve much.

— Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist teacher

In an age of crises, nothing is as beneficial as resting in open awareness.

Anyone can have a sitting practice––just show up, let go, turn inward, breathe, and relax into open awareness. Rest there. Do nothing.

The practice of resting and relaxing in awareness helps us cultivate a deep sense of clarity, resilience, and presence to meet our world with greater wisdom and compassion. It expands our minds, growing our capacity for more creative, beneficial responses to today's crises.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

It's very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. It allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.

— Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist teacher

In a time of disorientation, nothing is as helpful as knowing who you are.

When losing our way, knowing ourselves and understanding who we really are is crucially important.

Sitting is the activity of studying yourself; it's the process of knowing who and what you are. SittingLab creates a safe, nurturing space to deeply understand yourself, leading to insights and growth. Knowing yourself is how you know the world––it's how you manifest your path of transformation.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

(When we sit) we see that nothing is stagnant, and nothing is fully separate, that who we are, what we are is intimately woven into the nature of life itself. Out of this sense of connection, love and compassion arise.”

— Sharon Salzberg, Buddhist teacher

In an age of rapid acceleration, nothing is as courageous as going slow.

The SittingLab way of going slow is a courageous response to a world of increasing acceleration.

Sitting together is how we embody and express our aspiration to go slower. Going slower lets you connect, share experiences with others, and go deeper in your sitting. Going slow is not easy, but it's how you become more consistent in your practice and intentional in your life.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The you that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same you that comes out the other side.

–– Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Buddhist teacher

In a time of pervasive tech, nothing is more marvelous than human connection.

In a time of digital saturation, at SittingLab we focus on the marvelousness of genuine human connection.

Sitting together is a quiet yet powerful way to nurture a sense of deep connection, creating a safe space for authentic presence and meaningful friendships. Sitting together grows our innate human capacity for empathy, kindness, and compassion, marvelously well.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

Friendship is the most important element in the spiritual path. Everything else naturally flows from it.

–– Norman Fischer, Buddhist teacher

In an era of complexity, nothing is more liberating than the capacity to adapt.

We unleash our capacity for deep adaptation by practicing with a spirit of flexibility and experimentation.

Sitting together enables us to transform our lives by offering a safe, empowering space for learning, unlearning, and relearning. The support of a community helps us to show up and feel our way while constantly adjusting, attuning, and adapting to life circumstances.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The past is past. The future is important. You in the West should be creative in adapting the timeless essence of the Dharma to your own cultural times and circumstances.

–– The 14th Dalai Lama, Buddhist teacher

Become a Founding Member today and start practicing together with others!

Join today at no risk with our free two-week trial.

As a Founding Member you receive support for your daily practice, encouragement to grow and deepen your practice, and a sense of connection within a community of practitioners.

Become a SittingLab Founding Member to access...

Mastery Practice Groups – Regularly meeting private groups to learn, share goals and progress, and solve problems together.
Mastery 1:1's – Meet with SittingLab's Robert Thomas to discuss practice challenges and deepen your understanding.
Daily Sits - Stay consistent and accountable with daily sitting sessions. Build a sitting streak of 100 days to unlock the power of Master Practice Groups and Mastery 1:1s.
1:1 Founding Member Intros – Make new friends, share insights, and find ways to support and encourage each other.
Mastery Lessons - Micro-courses to accelerate your growth and level up your sitting practice by applying it to everyday life.
Community Support - Monthly practice themes, weekly questions and polls, inspiring daily wisdom quotes, and more!

What people have to say about their experience practicing with SittingLab:

"SittingLab deepens my commitment to practice daily. I feel the support of others to be consistent when I might be feeling lazy."

–– Ernest B. PhD, Educational Therapist

"Before I joined SittingLab, I wanted to meditate more regularly but had a hard time prioritizing the time for it. I would also feel too antsy to sit still for much more than 5 minutes. I've now been able to meditate more regularly (at least three times a week), and I'm amazed at my ability to simply "be" for our entire sitting sessions. After each session, I feel more centered, calm, and connected in a deep way with my fellow meditators."

–– Karla P., Writer and Life Coach

"Robert helped me get over the initial challenges of meditation. I'd tried in the past to meditate on a regular basis and was never able to. With this retreat, things started to click, and I began to relax into it instead of trying so hard and ultimately stopping. This made all the difference in me establishing a regular practice. I feel like I have a path forward now."

— Edward P., retreat participant

"Robert provided the group with an inspiring blend of yoga practice and meditation that was warm, non-judgmental, and fun. He took great care to address everyone's needs and encouraged each person to stretch their own comfort zone. I thank Robert for his mindful presence, good humor, commitment, and wisdom."

— Barbara R., retreat participant

SittingLab's Founder:

In an age of impersonal and superficial mindfulness, deeply transformative change is why we practice.

SittingLab's founder, Robert Thomas, began practicing meditation as a monk in a Thai forest monastery more than thirty years ago. He then dedicated his life to sitting, spending six years facing the wall in a remote Zen Buddhist monastery and two decades as a Zen priest in residence at the San Francisco Zen Center.

Robert has led meditation communities since 2001 and is the retired CEO of San Francisco Zen Center, Mindful Schools, and Tara Mandala Buddhist Community. He now lives in Santa Fe, where he sits, walks, writes, draws, and helps people deepen their sitting practice.

If you want to talk with Robert about joining SittingLab, simply click here.

My Vision for SittingLab:

Over thirty years ago, as I embarked on what would become a spiritual journey, I stumbled upon a Buddhist community that would help me establish a daily sitting practice.

The teachers and fellow practitioners there nurtured my intention to be consistent and my motivation to go deeper with acceptance, kindness, and authentic friendship. Without their support and guidance, I would never have found my new path.

Now, I wish to repay the kindness of those who gave to me so generously. I'm using my thirty years of meditation practice experience to create a place for daily practice with safe and trustworthy conditions for anyone to establish a deepening practice.

My hope is that the fundamental activity of sitting will find a meaningful place in your heart like it did in mine. I want you to experience how sitting with others can help you settle your mind, foster a sense of belonging, cultivate new friendships, and awaken you to your full potential.

The SittingLab way is intentional, joyful, and creative yet profoundly simple and direct: We gather, connect, and sit together to support and encourage each other in growing a daily and deepening practice.

Our collective aspiration is to walk the path of wisdom and compassion together as friends and feel our way to a deep sense of vitality, connection, adaptivity, and understanding in our everyday lives.

If this vision of creative possibility and transformation resonates with you, I invite you to join as a Founding Member. If you'd like to talk with me about joining SittingLab, please schedule an appointment below.

–– Robert Thomas, SittingLab Founder

SittingLab's Inspiration:

When we sit, we bring joy and nourishment to ourselves and others. Every time we sit, we can sit in such a way that the world can profit from our sitting.

–– Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist teacher and author

The SittingLab Manifesto:

The future of meditation is:

Life-changing. Feeling-optimizing. System-embracing. Meaning-making. Intention-clarifying. Slow-going. Wellbeing-centering. Energy-following. Commitment-making. Simplicity-striving. Connection-cultivating. View-expanding. Friendship-powered. Diversity-emphasizing. Belonging-actualizing. Presence-generating. Kindness-offering. Community-building. Relationship-nurturing. Awe-inspiring. Practice-nourishing. Experiment-inviting. Creativity-encouraging. Possibility-seeing. Safety-prioritizing. Emergence-enabling. Curiosity-orienting. Science-recognizing. Way-seeking. Beyond-thinking. Not-knowing. Awe-appreciating. Perspective-shifting. Experience-deepening. Kindness-finding. Wisdom-awakening. Beauty-creating. And Benefit-aspiring.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

There are two mistakes one can make along the path to truth: not going all the way, and not starting.

–– Buddha

SittingLab Micro-Courses:

At SittingLab, you design your daily sitting practice; you create your path to deeper meaning.

SittingLab

What if you had a daily meditation practice? How would your life change?

At SittingLab, we sit together daily to co-create a wiser, more compassionate future for ourselves and all living beings. creator

SittingLab's Inspiration:

My teaching is not a philosophy. It is the result of direct experience. My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship.

— The Buddha

In an era of distraction, nothing is more radical than being fully present.

When you are fully present for every moment of your life, everything is different.

You see different, think different, feel different, work different, create different, and care different. You'll meet each moment with greater kindness, compassion, and wisdom. When fully present for what's happening, you're alive. You're awake. You're ready.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world.

— Joanna Macy, Buddhist teacher

In an era of uncertainty, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.

Sitting still is embracing change and uncertainty. It's letting go and letting come. It's getting grounded and bigger, like a mountain.

Sitting still is meeting uncertainty with the expansiveness of not knowing. This is a beginner's mind that goes beyond knowing to see possibility and respond with curiosity, clarity, and wisdom. Sitting still grows your capacity to meet uncertainty with agility and ease.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.

— Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Buddhist teacher

In a time of isolation, nothing is more intimate than sitting with friends.

In the experience of sitting, you lose a sense of separateness and cultivate a recognition of connection and belonging.

In the collective experience of our silent presence, a quietly powerful sense of community emerges and becomes the basis for meaningful friendships. Sitting silently creates a safe environment that enables us to support, encourage, and inspire each other's practice path.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

Meditation practice in the 21st Century should become a collective practice. Without a community of friends, we cannot achieve much.

— Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist teacher

In an age of crises, nothing is as beneficial as resting in open awareness.

Anyone can have a sitting practice––just show up, let go, turn inward, breathe, and relax into open awareness. Rest there. Do nothing.

The practice of resting and relaxing in awareness helps us cultivate a deep sense of clarity, resilience, and presence to meet our world with greater wisdom and compassion. It expands our minds, growing our capacity for more creative, beneficial responses to today's crises.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

It's very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. It allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.

— Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist teacher

In a time of disorientation, nothing is as helpful as knowing who you are.

When losing our way, knowing ourselves and understanding who we really are is crucially important.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

(When we sit) we see that nothing is stagnant, and nothing is fully separate, that who we are, what we are is intimately woven into the nature of life itself. Out of this sense of connection, love and compassion arise.”

— Sharon Salzberg, Buddhist teacher

In an age of rapid acceleration, nothing is as courageous as going slow.

The SittingLab way of going slow is a courageous response to a world of increasing acceleration.

Sitting together is how we embody and express our aspiration to go slower. Going slower lets you connect, share experiences with others, and go deeper in your sitting. Going slow is not easy, but it's how you become more consistent in your practice and intentional in your life.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The you that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same you that comes out the other side.

–– Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Buddhist teacher

In a time of pervasive tech, nothing is more marvelous than human connection.

In a time of digital saturation, at SittingLab we focus on the marvelousness of genuine human connection.

Sitting together is a quiet yet powerful way to nurture a sense of deep connection, creating a safe space for authentic presence and meaningful friendships. Sitting together grows our innate human capacity for empathy, kindness, and compassion, marvelously well.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

Friendship is the most important element in the spiritual path. Everything else naturally flows from it.

–– Norman Fischer, Buddhist teacher

In an era of complexity, nothing is more liberating than the capacity to adapt.

We unleash our capacity for deep adaptation by practicing with a spirit of flexibility and experimentation.

Sitting together enables us to transform our lives by offering a safe, empowering space for learning, unlearning, and relearning. The support of a community helps us to show up and feel our way while constantly adjusting, attuning, and adapting to life circumstances.

SittingLab's Inspiration:

The past is past. The future is important. You in the West should be creative in adapting the timeless essence of the Dharma to your own cultural times and circumstances.

–– The 14th Dalai Lama, Buddhist teacher

Become a Founding Member today and start practicing together with others!

Join today at no risk with our free two-week trial.

As a Founding Member you receive support for your daily practice, encouragement to grow and deepen your practice, and a sense of connection within a community of practitioners.

Become a SittingLab Founding Member to access...

Mastery Practice Groups – Regularly meeting private groups to learn, share goals and progress, and solve problems together.

Mastery 1:1's – Meet with SittingLab's Robert Thomas to discuss practice challenges and deepen your understanding.

Daily Sits - Stay consistent and accountable with daily sitting sessions. Build a sitting streak of 100 days to unlock the power of Master Practice Groups and Mastery 1:1s.

1:1 Founding Member Intros – Make new friends, share insights, and find ways to support and encourage each other.

Mastery Lessons - Micro-courses to accelerate your growth and level up your sitting practice by applying it to everyday life.

Community Support - Monthly practice themes, weekly questions and polls, inspiring daily wisdom quotes, and more!

What people have to say about their experience practicing with SittingLab:

"SittingLab deepens my commitment to practice daily. I feel the support of others to be consistent when I might be feeling lazy."

–– Ernest B. PhD, Educational Therapist

–– Karla P., Writer and Life Coach

— Edward P., retreat participant

— Barbara R., retreat participant

SittingLab's Founder:

In an age of impersonal and superficial mindfulness, deeply transformative change is why we practice.

If you want to talk with Robert about joining SittingLab, simply click here.

My Vision for SittingLab:

Over thirty years ago, as I embarked on what would become a spiritual journey, I stumbled upon a Buddhist community that would help me establish a daily sitting practice.

The teachers and fellow practitioners there nurtured my intention to be consistent and my motivation to go deeper with acceptance, kindness, and authentic friendship. Without their support and guidance, I would never have found my new path.

Now, I wish to repay the kindness of those who gave to me so generously. I'm using my thirty years of meditation practice experience to create a place for daily practice with safe and trustworthy conditions for anyone to establish a deepening practice.

My hope is that the fundamental activity of sitting will find a meaningful place in your heart like it did in mine. I want you to experience how sitting with others can help you settle your mind, foster a sense of belonging, cultivate new friendships, and awaken you to your full potential.

The SittingLab way is intentional, joyful, and creative yet profoundly simple and direct: We gather, connect, and sit together to support and encourage each other in growing a daily and deepening practice.

Our collective aspiration is to walk the path of wisdom and compassion together as friends and feel our way to a deep sense of vitality, connection, adaptivity, and understanding in our everyday lives.

If this vision of creative possibility and transformation resonates with you, I invite you to join as a Founding Member. If you'd like to talk with me about joining SittingLab, please schedule an appointment below.