Unfortunately there was a storm last night (so I couldn't meditate either) and my house lost power. No power, no internet, no posting, so I'll post two entries today. Today's first post will be about how to properly do Zen meditation. Zen is a school of Buddhism that focuses on enlightenment and self-realization. Zen meditation, or zazen, is the core practice used to reach these goals. Zazen is a type a meditation that focuses on uniting the mind and body, and in order to attain self unity, one must properly sit.
Some tips for beginners:
• Sit in a place where distractions are at a minimum. You want to find a place to sit that is relatively peaceful and tranquil.
• Sitting on a soft pillow (also called a zafu), causes your behind to become raised, and allows your knees to touch the ground. This becomes a very stable base for zazen.
• Find a sitting technique that is comfortable to you. I'll write a post about sitting postures later.
• Imagine that your spine is a metal rod stuck in the ground. By maintaining a straight posture, the diaphragm is allowed to move freely, allowing deep breathing (inhale short, exhale long) through the nose.
• Although your breathing should not be forced, pay attention to it. Breath from your hara, or center
• Let go of all distracting thoughts. An easy way to do this is just focus on your breathing. Count your breaths and focus on each breath as they pass the inside of your nostrils.
• And last but not least, just find a good 15-30 minutes to just sit. After meditating, you will feel refreshed and any anxiety or stress that you accumulated will be forgotten.
Zazen is a Japanese word. The "Za" means to sit, and "zen" means to meditate or concentrate. But zazen means more than just sitting and meditating. Zazen is about being able to settle your mind to a state of clarity, so you can see everything in this world as it is. Zazen should be a very calming practice.
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