The Craft of Zen
Membership
A Zen course with Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi: Cultivate clarity and compassionate response — in the midst of your daily life.
This is more than meditation. This is your daily path of embodied Zen.
Registration is now closed
No pressure. Cancel anytime. Just begin — and feel what changes.
In a Time of Uncertainty
In a world that's constantly changing, in an age that presents us with too much conflicting information, and in a society that seems to always pull for more, many of us are tired. No more self-improvement projects.
If you are longing for something different:
An inner orientation you can trust. An embodied posture that locates you. And practices that reach into the fabric of your daily life, this course is for you.
What This Course Offers
The Craft of Zen is not about escape — but about fully inhabiting your experience.
Over six months, you'll cultivate five foundational qualities drawn from the heart of Zen — not as abstract ideals, but as lived practices.
They help you meet the moment with clarity, presence, and wise response — right where life happens.
Designed for Daily Life
A course rooted in lived experience — so you can show up, just as you are.
This is not a course you have to “keep up” with.
There’s no pressure to perform — no finish line to reach.
Instead, The Craft of Zen Membership is designed as a steady rhythm of support.
It meets you in real life — in the early mornings, the quiet evenings, and the messy in-betweens.
The Craft of Zen Curriculum
A six-month journey through five embodied practices — to deepen attention, soften resistance, and act from what matters.
Daily Meditation Streams
Morning and evening zazen to anchor your day in stillness and intention.
On‒Demand Library
Re-watch sessions, study at your own pace, and return to the teachings whenever life calls for them.
Weekly Practice Guides
Gentle structure to help integrate your insights into real-life decisions, relationships, and challenges.
Peer‒Led Community Circles
Be seen. Be heard. Walk alongside others who are also choosing depth over distraction.
Live Teachings & Q&A with Nicole Baden Roshi
Direct transmission, guidance, and shared inquiry with an experienced Zen teacher.
What if the change you long for came without trying to fix yourself?
- Starting your day not in stress, but with clear intention
- Meeting difficult situations and conflict with grounded presence instead of reactivity
- Feeling connected to body, breath, and the beauty of sensorial aliveness — even in the midst of chaos
- Discovering that stillness isn’t something you “achieve” — it’s something you release yourself into
All of this is possible.
And yes, it takes practice and engagement — but very little doing.
This program offers a new way of inhabiting your experience and meeting each moment — one step at a time, one breath at a time.
How this Membership works
This path is made to fit into real life — not take you away from it.You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to begin.
01
Join the Membership
Start anytime with a 30-day free trial. No commitment — just curiosity.
02
Begin Your Daily Practice
Access short morning & evening meditations, plus weekly guided practices.
03
Develop the Five Qualities
Explore The Craft of Zen curriculum and attend live sessions with Nicole Baden Roshi.
04
Connect & Reflect
Join peer-led reflection circles, ask questions, and grow alongside a mindful community
More than techniques.
These are the crafts of cultivating wisdom and compassion.
The course offers five core “crafts” — embodied, repeatable skills that help translate insight into action. These are not ideals to master, but real capacities that grow through practice:
• Tolerating not-knowing (when we actually don’t know)
• Inhabiting immediacy (before expectations and judgments kick in)
• Grounding thinking in feeling (but not emotion)
• Steadying attention (and cultivating a field of absorption)
• Acting from what matters (without getting in the way of ourselves)
You don’t need to get them right. You only need to stay close to what they open up — and let them guide your path.
What touched me most was the way stillness can become a form of care.
It’s not the kind of care that tries to fix or soften. It just stays — steady, open, present. And in that quiet presence, something inside begins to unclench.
What truly surprised me: this kind of stillness can actually be evoked through an online space. (D.D.)
What You’ll Get
Three pillars to support your transformation —
from guided teaching to daily integration.
The Craft of Zen Course
A six-month guided journey into the heart of Zen-based transformation.
Each month, you'll explore one of the Five Crafts — Openness, Acceptance, Resonance, Stillness, and Integrity — through:
- Weekly teaching videos from Nicole Baden Roshi
- Integration prompts & micro-practices
- Contemplative reflections for everyday application
Rather than studying from the outside, you’ll begin to live from the inside out — shaping your posture toward life itself.
Access everything in one place:
Your digital home for practice, connection, and growth — accessible anytime, from anywhere. Inside you’ll find:
- The Zendo: daily live & recorded meditations
- The Library: growing archive of teachings
- The Community Space: forums, peer circles, and shared reflection
Whether you're here daily or drop in when life allows, the campus offers a structure of presence — flexible, grounded, alive.
Bonus: Whats your Advice
Each month, Nicole Baden Roshi sits down with visionary guests — scientists, activists, artists, and fellow teachers — to explore one essential question:
“What is your advice for the world today?”
No hype. No quick fixes. Just honest, reflective conversations that awaken something within.
Personal truths. Small practices. Deep values — shared with care.
This is not a podcast. It’s a living inquiry into how we can meet the world — wisely, courageously, together.
Stories of Transformation
Exceptionally insightful – a modern bridge between Buddhism and psychology.
I find the course content truly exceptional. I'm fascinated by Nicole's reinterpretation, her connection between psychology and Buddhism, and how she situates it in the modern age.
Many things only became clear to me now, thanks to the many practical and relatable explanations offered.
In any case, it's a great and helpful course.
Hans-Werner
Even after years of practice – I’m still learning and deeply inspired.
I appreciate the clarity, thoroughness, and extensive knowledge of Tatsudo Baden Roshi. Today I listened to Day 3, and even though I’ve been practicing meditation for a long time, I’m still learning and feel inspired. I can only recommend everyone to take advantage of this generous opportunity. Many thanks to Tatsudo Baden Roshi and Zendharmasangha.
Renate Allcock
A fresh, powerful voice in modern Zen
Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi is pure wonderfulness. Please pass that along. I've been doing this awhile and, gender (any differences) really, aren't a thing for me; they are for a lot of people though (mostly newbies).
Which is so refreshing—a fresh female voice/leader that will surely open the gates to more, and different, people exploring Zen ahead. I'm a big fan. And happy to support her success ahead. And, once I get through a transitional period, I plan to visit Crestone. Hopefully, I will get a chance to meet her then.
Keep up the outstanding work, including raising up an impressive young woman.
Kristen Heimerl
Pricing plans
Join Now – Your Membership Invitation
Enrollment closes August 14
After that, the doors to The Craft of Zen Membership will close until the next intake.
Two simple ways to begin your journey of contemplative training and embodied clarity:
- Try it out – no pressure: Begin with 14 Days for Free— available until August 14 (monthly only)
- Commit and save: Pay once and save $24 with the 6-month plan
$48/month
First 14 days free · Cancel anytime
Includes:
- Live teachings in The Craft of Zen arc with Nicole Baden RoshiPersönliche Domain
- Access to the What’s Your Advice? interview series
- Daily meditation streams (morning & evening) via the Online Zendo
- Peer-led community forums for shared reflection
- Full access to the Online Campus & Baker Roshi Archive (rolling release)
- Curated study materials + on-demand recordings
- No upfront charge – begin freely
Registration is now closed
$288
$264/One-Time Payment
Save $24 with upfront commitment
14 days free not included
Includes:
- Full 6-month access to the complete Engage & Embody journey
- Access to the What’s Your Advice? interview series
- Daily meditation streams (morning & evening) via the Online Zendo
- Peer-led community forums for shared reflection
- Full access to the Online Campus & Baker Roshi Archive (rolling release)
- Curated study materials + on-demand recordings
- One-time payment – no further billing
Registration is now closed
Studying with Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi
”I have never taken as much for my own practice from any course as I did from this one. The daily impulses from Tatsudo Nicole Roshi were very valuable and inspiring for me. A well-rounded and successful concept that I would wholeheartedly recommend to any practitioner.”
Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi
Abbot of Dharma Sangha & Founder of the Dharma Academy
Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi (*1981) is the Dharma successor of Zentatsu Baker Roshi. She has been practicing with the Dharma Sangha since 2001. Until 2009, she studied psychology at the University of Oldenburg and simultaneously completed a training in the body-oriented method Body-Mind Centering©. She then lived for four years at the Crestone Mountain Zen Center in Colorado, USA, and has been at the Zen Buddhist Center Black Forest since 2013. In September 2024, Tatsudo Roshi officially assumed the Dharma succession and has since been guiding the spiritual direction of the Dharma Sangha as Abbot.
FAQs
Please feel free to email support@dharmaacademy.com for any lingering questions.
Lea Dinger
The Craft of Zen, Course support
Is this suitable for beginners?
Absolutely! Our courses have material for all seekers, no matter where you are on the path.
Do I need to be Buddhist?
Our courses and teachings are rooted in ancient Zen practice, but it is our intention that they are applicable to everyone, whether or not you identify as a Buddhist. It’s about thoroughly embodying wisdom views and learning how to act compassionately – even when we don’t feel like it.
What if I miss a session?
The Wisdom Curriculum is designed to support all learners at their own speed—the context of our lives looks different for everyone. All courses and Dharma talks are recorded and accessible at any time, so you can do the course at the pace that is right for you.
Can I cancel anytime?
You are welcome to cancel at any time the Dharma Academy Membership no longer feels right for you — simply send a message to our support team. And if you ever change your mind, you are warmly welcomed back.
