It is a beautiful morning and I set out for the gym down the road, looking forward to a vigorous workout. No wires attached. Just a pleasant start to my day. My first stop is the treadmill. I press the “quick start”, set the speed, and get ready to do some…
Posts tagged as “mindful living”
“While there are lots of books available on retirement, the only book that really matters is the one that you write yourself”. What am I doing talking about retirement, aka the golden years? As far as I am concerned there’s no such thing. But a close relative of ours recently retired…
Did you look forward to the Gratitude Circle blog hop as much as I did? I was a little sad about skipping it in April, but everyone was busy with the A to Z Challenge and I didn’t want to add this. Although, nothing difficult about writing a gratitude list, eh?…
Some days look like they’re headed downhill and try as you might, the brakes won’t work! I mean, everything that can possibly go wrong, manages to, or tries its very best and succeeds! Take this morning, for instance. I woke up. I brushed my teeth. I smiled at myself in the…
Zazen
Meditation is a wonderful and easy practice. I see it as a way to sit quietly as my mind gets into neutral gear, leading to a nice state of calm. A state where it is easy to appreciate everything I have.
Zen is the practice of returning to this moment. Rather than getting away from our life, it is about getting into our life just as it is, in all its glory – a sort of awakening to ourselves and generally feeling responsible for life.
Zen meditation, also called Zazen, is an easy and uncomplicated practice. You sit, and start where you are, and finish where you are. In the process, you develop an awareness of whatever you experience without thinking about it or trying to change it.
You don’t even need to aim for a state of calm or stillness – the goal is non-judgmental awareness. This facilitates letting go – and the calm and peace are welcome side benefits.
It is a super-easy practice that follows this sequence:
- You sit comfortably
- You relax
- Each time you feel a thought coming, you acknowledge it and let it go. You do this repeatedly.
- Finally you surrender all thought and gently detach yourself and stay alert, present in this moment.
As a mindfulness meditation practice, Zazen achieves the wonderful challenge of awakening you to the present moment, while gently urging you to let go, so that you see the world exactly as it is. This means you immerse yourself in the present moment with no thoughts interfering with the experience.
How to do Zazen
George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.” Makes sense,…
Gardening is a form of mindful meditation, and perhaps one of the best mindfulness practices. Nurturing a garden – regardless of its size, whether you’re blessed with one surrounding your house or whether it is few pots in your balcony, is a most satisfying experience. Watching one little leaf sprout or…