Practice Leaders

Two of Plum Blossom Zendo’s founding members, Neal Griebling and Tim Kennedy, have been asked by Sensei Abels to provide guidance, support and encouragement to community members in her absence and to play an active leadership role in the zendo by upholding the necessary structures of Zen practice. They assist practitioners with development of right posture, with problems regarding breath work and how to deal with thoughts during zazen as well as other matters that normally come up for a person who has set out on the path of Zen. More about their support role will be explained in the Introduction to Zen which they offer.

NEAL GRIEBLING is a Zen chaplain who completed his formal training at Udumbara Zen Center in Evanston, Illinois. He serves as a consultant to area hospices and serves the sick and dying in our community. Neal, the Founder of Future Design Studio, Inc.,  is also a career consultant, helping people identify and find work they love. A Zen practitioner since 1968, he has practiced with Roshi Dainin Katagiri, Diane Martin, and Shohaku Okumura. He is a formal student of Sensei Janet Abels.

TIM KENNEDY began Zen practice in 1985 when he participated in a retreat with Toni Packer. Since then he has enjoyed practice with Dai-en Bennage, Cheri Huber, Shohaku Okumura, Issho Fujita, Reb Anderson and others. In 2005, after attending three retreats with Sensei Janet Abels, he became her formal student. Tim works as a welfare caseworker for the state of Pennsylvania.