Buddhists offer their own form of online meditation &8212; and it's nothing like the apps

March Mindfulness is Mashable's series that examines the intersection of meditation practice and technology. Because even in the time of coronavirus, March doesn't have to be madness.

When the pandemic started to spread in the U.S., and the coinciding stay-at-home orders began rattling through states, Barry Briggs was not particularly interested in taking his Buddhism practice virtual.

He had been practicing in the Kwan Um school of Zen for 31 years, first with a group in Seattle and, after becoming a teacher, now with his own group in Southern Arizona. Before the pandemic, he practiced with other people in-person twice a week, where they would meditate in zazen — or seated — and chant. On Sundays, about 25 people would practice meditation and then listen to a talk, usually by Briggs himself but sometimes by visiting teachers, and go out for coffee. A few times a year, Briggs would attend and occasionally lead in-person meditation retreats, called sesshins, anywhere from a weekend to multiple months long. Read more...