Are You FULLY VACCINATED? If so …
… you are welcome to resume sitting at the Center! Thank you, everyone who was able to attend Saturday’s Sangha Zoom meeting. After reading through the guidelines developed by the re-opening task force, we had a very productive question-and-answer period that resulted in some helpful fine-tuning.
Before coming to your first sitting, please carefully read all the guidelines below, to make sure you are eligible and to learn what is expected:
- If you are fully vaccinated, you can begin sitting in the zendo. “Fully vaccinated” means it’s been two weeks since you got your final vaccination shot, i.e., your second for Pfizer or Moderna or your one-and-only shot for Johnson & Johnson. No need to RSVP; just show up.
- For newcomers who have attended one of our online introductory workshops during the pandemic (and again: fully vaccinated), first contact Dené Redding (redding@gmail.com) before attending a formal sitting. Since it will be your first time at the Zen Center, we’d like to give you a brief, but important, orientation to the buildings and zendo for an easier transition.
- When you arrive, you’ll find an information sheet on the small table under the Link bulletin board (remember the Link?). Please provide your name, vaccine type (Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J) and vaccination date of your second shot (Pfizer or Moderna) or single shot of J&J. We only ask that people give us this information once.
- Wear your mask at all times except when you’re actually sitting on your mat in the zendo. The general guideline is WHEN IN MOTION, WEAR YOUR MASK.
- The Center has installed a high-tech ventilation and filtration system in the zendo for better air circulation, and in order to maintain social distancing, we’ve removed enough mats to leave 6 feet between the ones that remain.
- Wearing your robe is optional. If you don’t wear your robe, please avoid anything distracting (e.g., bright colors, images, words) on your street clothes. If you do bring your robe, change in one of the bathrooms next to the zendo or on the second floor. With some major reconstruction underway, the bathrooms and changing rooms in the basement are not available right now, although you can pick up support cushions in the men’s changing room.
- You don’t need to wear a mask for The Four Vows at the end of formal sittings, since the mats are spaced at least 6 feet apart.
- The regular schedule of Zoom sittings will continue, as well as the Center’s audio-livestream of formal sittings in the Arnold Park zendo. If you want to refer to the weekly schedule, you can find it here.
Many Vaccinations Available in Downtown Rochester
If you, or someone you know, still needs the COVID-19 vaccine, Monroe County currently has a large number of vaccination appointments available. (Note: you must be 18 or older to receive the Moderna vaccine, so be sure to pick a Pfizer date if you are registering someone who’s 16 or 17.) The scheduling link can be found on the Monroe County website or here. Same-day sign-ups are currently available!