Madison Chesarek | Oct. 8, 2026 | Events
Haskell Indian Nations University students and staff gathered for a weekly Zen meditation session in Ross Hall.
Led by Haskell art instructor David Titterington, the meditation group gathers every Wednesday from 5 to 5:20 p.m. in Room 133. The sessions give participants about 15 to 20 minutes to practice the art of zazen, a form of seated Zen meditation, and take a break from the stress of the week.
Titterington, 43, began meditating when he was 15 and has practiced for nearly 30 years. In his 20s, he spent five years living in Japan, where he studied Soto Zen and learned meditation practices that later inspired the sessions he leads at Haskell.
He also brought part of that experience back with him. During the Haskell sessions, Titterington uses a singing bowl he received from one of his teachers in Japan.
“I have benefited greatly from meditation,” Titterington said.
In previous semesters, the Haskell meditation sessions lasted about an hour. Titterington said participants worked through seven meditation positions or practices during those longer sessions.
The current sessions are shorter and focus specifically on zazen. Titterington said he decided to shorten the sessions after meeting with a meditation group in Kansas City that practiced for 20 minutes.
“I thought that was just perfect for students,” he said.
The style of meditation Titterington learned also includes shikantaza, meaning “just sitting,” a Soto Zen practice centered on simply sitting without trying to accomplish a particular goal.
That idea influences how he approaches meditation with students. Instead of requiring participants to focus heavily on breathing, repeat a mantra or judge whether they are meditating correctly, Titterington encourages them to sit and observe what happens.
“It’s a non-meditation meditation,” Titterington said, describing the practice as simple but also difficult.
He said meditation is not necessarily about trying to create a peaceful state of mind.
“We’re not cultivating peace so much as we’re recognizing some aspect of the mind that’s already in peace,” Titterington said.
Titterington also used the metaphor of a “mirror mind” to explain the practice. Instead of constantly trying to control thoughts, a person becomes aware of what is already happening in the mind.
“It’s supposed to help you wake up,” he said. “It forces the mind to watch the mind.”
Meditating in a group can also affect the experience. Titterington said people may become more aware of their movements and surrounding noises when others are meditating beside them. Those distractions do not necessarily have to interrupt the practice.
One of Titterington’s main goals is to show students that meditation is possible even if they have never practiced it before.
“I hear so many students say, ‘I can’t meditate,’” Titterington said. “All you need is a mind and a body and you can meditate.”
He said people may already experience meditation naturally while driving, focusing on something or becoming deeply involved in a task. Practicing intentionally can introduce students to another way of calming the mind and dealing with stress.
“It’s a beginner’s practice,” Titterington said. “It’s the simplest practice, but it’s also the most advanced.”
Participants are not expected to sit perfectly still or force their bodies to react a certain way. Titterington said even falling asleep can be accepted because it may mean the body needs rest.
Zen meditation sessions are open to Haskell students and staff every Wednesday from 5 to 5:20 p.m. in Room 133 of Ross Hall. Beginners are welcome, and participants are encouraged to approach the practice without worrying about doing everything correctly.
Although meditation is the focus, Titterington said his favorite part of the weekly sessions is “the chat before and after.”
