“The most resounding effect of the talk was simply observing and meeting Dan Huston, a man I find to be incredibly present and to exude great energy throughout the whole room. His presence had an immediate impact on me. In my intro to theatre class we have spent three solid weeks on getting out of our heads and into the moment. Acting is a great passion of mine and as many in the business know, stage presence is key, the ability to demand attention and exude confidence. This is what I saw in Dan Huston, and I was delighted to learn from him. It made me see that these kinds of people do live outside of the monasteries, in everyday society.

Before seeing Dan Huston, I did not believe that living in our consumer-driven, goal-oriented society that I could truly achieve ‘Zen.’ This different environment and speaker made it easier for me to think of meditation as a mainstream practice and not just something monks, and we selected few, take part in. The other people in the audience just made me feel a part of a larger culture of others attempting to find this mindfulness for ourselves. I also really enjoyed the fact that he did a meditation with the group; I could truly feel the different energy in the room compared to what I usually experience in class.”