10/13/2026
The Art of Just Sitting: Zen at Haskell
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.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: https://theindianleader.com/2026/10/13/the-art-of-just-sitting-zen-at-haskell/
