Relaxing with Zen Meditation

We all have to deal with stress from either work or school. You can’t close your eyes to make it go away but you can find peace so you can deal with it. One technique you can do is called Zen meditation.

Zen meditation is often referred to as the study of the self. It involves sitting in various postures so you are able to bring the mind and body to a peaceful and stable condition. This happens as you focus on images and thoughts that just pop up as your heart rate slows down until you reach a reflective state of meditation.

Place a cushion on the floor, resting on a thin pad like a blanket or carpet. You can purchase meditation cushions and pads. The zabuton is a mat placed on the floor. The zafu is a cushion that is placed on top of the zabuton. This helps to take the pressure off your legs while you meditate. If you don't have one, other materials, such as pillows, sofa cushions or rolled-up blankets will good enough to start meditation at home. Meditating in a chair or on a low bench will also work. There are several different sitting positions that you can use while practicing zen meditation.

The suggested sitting postures are:
1. Full-lotus posture.
2. Half-lotus posture.
3. Quarter-lotus posture.
4. Burmese posture.
5. Kneeling or seiza posture (using cushions or a low bench).
6. Sitting in a chair.

Zen mediation is usually practice in a sitting position with your hands and legs folded. The key is to keep your back straight so that your deep breathing will go naturally. This allows more oxygen to enter that will help cleanse and energize the body.

The buttocks must be thrust out and the chin tucked in. The hands should be placed close to the body with the left hand resting on top of the right with palms open and up. The joint of the middle fingers are resting on top of the other with the thumbs slightly touching.

After you have reached your desired sitting position, your eyes should be half closed and your head should be positioned to a 45 degree angle towards the body. It is not easy to keep the eyes like this the whole time, so you can try closing them first and then opening them later on. Should you get sleepy, just open them wide.

You should begin by concentrating that involves focusing on your breath while you are counting. By concentrating, you are able to unite the body, mind and soul so that your mind is aware of only the present and no longer the past or the unforeseeable future. After you have developed a breathing pattern, you slowly relax the muscles from your face all the way down to your feet. As it slows down and oxygen enters, you should focus on positive thoughts and exhale those that are negative. The challenging part is staying in a stationary position for 15 to 20 minutes

Besides having the right posture, you should always wear loose clothing. Do not practice this after a heavy meal because a full stomach usually creates discomfort which causes a distraction.

Zen meditation experts recommend that beginners should try for 10 minutes first until you get used to it before you decide to extend this for 20 or 30 minutes. If you feel your mind wander off, concentrate a little harder to focus again on your breathing so your thoughts will settle down naturally.

As continue meditation you can buy a few accessories like incense sticks, or a kitchen timer to mark the start and end of a session. Incense is used by many Zen practitioners to time meditation periods. Short incense sticks burn for about 25 minutes while the longer incense sticks burn for 45-50 minutes

If you would like to learn Zen Meditation, you can read about it or it best experienced by joining a local group so you can receive the various teachings associated with it.