From Autopilot to Fully Alive: Zen Tools for Presence and Purpose in a Distracted World
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
Dan Zigmond
Zen Meditation Teacher | Executive Coach | Author of Buddha’s Office and Buddha’s Diet
Gain the calm, clarity, and presence to be more fully alive in every moment – and release the stress keeping you on edge.
Between global news cycles, work demands that never sleep, and a phone that pings every 30 seconds, it's no wonder your nervous system feels like it's constantly running on high alert.
You're not imagining it: modern life is legitimately stressful.
But when stress keeps your mind racing between the regrets of the past and the imaginary apocalyptic “what if’s” of the future, you can feel like a helpless bystander in your own life, instead of an active participant with agency to shape your days instead of merely surviving them.
You find yourself half-listening to the meeting while drafting email replies in your head… half-present at the dinner table while mentally replaying an earlier conversation... and mindlessly scrolling every spare moment because you don’t want to deal with what comes up if you’re left alone with your thoughts for too long.
Meanwhile, the days slip past and it feels like you’re missing out on all the best parts of your own life.
The good news is, there are simple practices you can use to calm the noise and cultivate greater presence and purpose in just minutes a day.
And when you make them part of your daily life, you can experience:
Discover the simple Zen practices that will take you from checked out to fully alive and present in your own life.
Dan Zigmond is a teacher of Zen Buddhism and executive coach who’s spent decades practicing mindfulness in the middle of meetings, kids, Slack pings, and airport gates.
After 30 years as a tech executive and data scientist at Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Microsoft — and training as a Zen priest — Dan chose what the Buddha called the hard path: staying present inside a busy, modern life instead of escaping from it.
So when you find yourself asking:
Those questions mean you're ready for something different — and Dan's spent decades figuring out how to answer them.
In this three-day workshop at MEA’s serene desert Rising Circle Ranch, Dan shares a stripped-down Zen toolkit for being fully here in the life you already have.
You’ll learn a no-frills form of meditation that’s easy to pick up and endlessly deep to keep exploring, so you leave knowing how the practice feels in your body, not just as an idea in your head.
Calm your mind. Open your heart. Come back to your life.
Join Dan for a three-day retreat designed to restore your peace, clarity, and give you space to exhale deeply. Together you will…
You’ll be in a small cohort of around 25 people, with plenty of space for questions, connection, and direct time with Dan – he spends about a third of his retreats in open Q&A because he’d rather answer what’s on your mind than stick to a script.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
Meet Your Faculty
Dan Zigmond
Zen Teacher | Executive Coach | Author of Buddha’s Office and Buddah’s Diet
Dan Zigmond is a Zen teacher and executive coach who has spent decades exploring one core question: how do you live a meaningful, awake life inside a very modern, very busy one?
For more than 30 years, he worked as a tech executive and data scientist in Silicon Valley, leading teams at Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Microsoft while training as a Zen student, priest, and now teacher.
Early on, Dan assumed he’d end up in a monastery. Instead, he fell in love, needed to pay the bills, and took “just for now” coding jobs that turned into a long tech career. Rather than abandoning his spiritual path, he found a Japanese Zen master willing to ordain him on one condition: that he keep practicing in the middle of ordinary life.
Today, Dan devotes his time to teaching, coaching, and retreats at the intersection of Zen and everyday life. He teaches regularly at the Esalen Institute and serves on the boards of the San Francisco Zen Center and Naropa University.
What you'll gain
Real‑life calm for real‑world stress.
You’re tired of feeling wired, on edge, or disconnected from your own life. This is a way to exhale, reset, and find clarity in the middle of everything else. Leave with a simple, repeatable Zen practice you can lean on, whether it’s a noisy Tuesday morning or a sleepless night.
Tools to meet change without coming unglued
Explore Zen perspectives on impermanence and suffering, then test how they land against your own midlife transitions. The goal isn’t to “feel zen” about everything, but to have a sturdier inner stance when things don’t go to plan.
A different relationship with your thoughts and reactions.
You'll practice noticing thoughts and emotions as they arise – without automatically acting on them. Which means fewer regrettable emails, less snapping at people, and less time replaying conversations at 3am. You get space between stimulus and response – and that space changes everything.
A sharper sense of what really counts now
Through talks, reflection, meditation, and Q&A, you’ll start to see where your time and energy currently go and where you actually want them to go in this stage of life. That clarity becomes a filter for what you say yes to, what you gently let go of, and what you give your best attention to.
A felt experience of presence you can return to
Most of all, you’ll know in your bones what “being here” actually feels like – in your body, with other people, on the land – so you can recognize when you’ve drifted and find your way back, breath by breath.
Our Agenda at a Glance
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
4:00 PM: Check-In / Welcome
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session
9:00 PM: Free Time
Friday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
Saturday:
7:30 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner, Dessert & Graduation
8:00 PM: Evening Gathering
Sunday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
9:30 AM: Checkout / Departure
*Please note all times are estimates and not all “classroom activities” take place in the actual classroom. This agenda is meant to give you an idea of the general flow of activities.
Step into transformation in the high desert
Rising Circle Ranch | Santa Fe, USA.
Our spectacular Santa Fe campus is located on an upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
Explore the Ranch on Horseback
Our Rising Circle Ranch spans 2,600 acres of New Mexico high desert, offering guided horseback riding for all experience levels through diverse terrains under the vast Southwest sky
You’ll experience highlights like:
Horseback riding is an optional add-on activity you can book once you arrive on the ranch. Whether you’re seasoned or brand new to horseback adventures, this guided experience lets you discover the ranch’s natural wonders alongside our gentle horses.
Your workshop also includes:
It’s time to stop sleepwalking through this one wild, ordinary life.
Most days, your brain is three steps ahead of your body — drafting replies in the shower, reliving old conversations on the drive home, planning 10 moves out while you’re sitting across from someone you love. All that invisible effort doesn’t just exhaust you – it softly steals the only thing you can never get back: the moment you’re actually in.
Time with Dan and at our Santa Fe Ranch is an invitation to reroute that energy.
Instead of feeding your worry loops and to‑do lists, learn how to pour your attention into the life that’s already here: the taste of your coffee, the feel of your feet on the trail, the sound of someone finishing a sentence before you jump in.
You’ll leave with:
Life isn’t waiting for you to feel ready or organized or perfectly calm.
This is your chance to learn how to be present for it anyway.
Book your spot today
From Autopilot to Fully Alive: Zen Tools for Presence and Purpose in a Distracted World
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
The program was spectacular. It really surpassed my expectations. I was really surprised about how the course was curated. There was such a warm intensity and personal touch to it.
I experienced MEA as a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cancer patient, and as a result of the things I’ve learned - I’ve banished the anxiety of being a cancer victim, am in remission, and living with a newfound energy and purpose.
Just know how grateful I am for the joy fuel you all put in my rocket ship. When I want to feel loved or just need a good smile I can think of my time at MEA, which came at the perfect time to encourage me on my journey. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this workshop for?
This experience is for anyone in midlife who feels a bit checked out of life even though everything looks fine on paper. If you’re juggling work, relationships, and responsibilities while wondering about presence, purpose, and how to handle change without coming unglued, this workshop is for you.
Do I need to have meditation experience?
Not at all. If you can sit in a chair and be curious about your own mind, you’re in the right place. Beginners and long-time practitioners are both welcome. Dan designs his teaching for people who live in the real world, not in monasteries.
Is this workshop religious or spiritual?
Dan teaches from a Zen Buddhist lineage, but the emphasis here is on practical tools, not beliefs. You’ll hear stories and teachings from the Zen tradition, and you’ll be invited to reflect on your own values and meaning, but without any pressure to adopt a particular worldview.
What’s included in the tuition?
Your tuition includes all programming, three nights of accommodations, chef-prepared meals, snacks, drinks, and access to MEA’s inspiring campuses in either Baja or Santa Fe. The only additional costs are transportation to the venue and any personal incidentals.
How do I know if I qualify for a partial scholarship?
We offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis. Our goal is to make MEA accessible to those who may face financial barriers to attending. If you’re experiencing financial stress that could prevent your participation, we encourage you to apply for assistance.
What if I’m not sure if this workshop is right for me?
We’re happy to help. Book a free call with our team, and we can help you decide based on your current life situation, goals, and timing.
Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors
Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.
Daniel Booz
Lucas Erie
Leslie Bartlett