Thursday, April 14, 2011

10-Breath Zen

I have to admit, some mornings I run short of time to formally sit Zen...or I am just too damn lazy to get out of bed.

Well, what I do from time to time that actually keeps me in the meditative habit and my Zen-groove is 10-Breath Zen.

I do my ceremonial lighting of a candle and incense, then sit in seiza or on my cushion...then simply focus on breathing, but count down each exhale starting at 10. By the time I get to one I am feeling more settled and calm. It is like doing a hypnotic deepener technique...it feels good.

From here I give thanks for my many blessings and go about my day. 10-Breath Zen. A great way to start your day and keeping in the routine of sitting practice.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen
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9 comments:

  1. BK MaxApril 14, 2011 at 3:18 PM

    I like it, with 2 young ones I am already up at 5:00 am just to get the whole show on the road. I tried waking up at 4:30 but winter, fatigue won out. Lately I sit on my lunch break, but I like the idea of starting the day with your 10 breath Zen,
    Thanks,

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  2. John WebsterApril 14, 2011 at 6:12 PM

    Conscious Breathing is wonderful... But what we fail to realize is we all are wasteful of time.

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  3. Rizal AffifApril 14, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    I feel like reading a commercial :))

    Nice technique, BTW... it works like charm! Thanks for sharing!

    ... and maybe, I'm being too lazy, too! :))

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  4. David "Shinzen" NelsonApril 14, 2011 at 9:10 PM

    To all: Thanks...Hands palm to palm.

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  5. FeliciaApril 16, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    Tried it this morning! Works for me :-)

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  6. objecpersApril 17, 2011 at 7:24 AM

    What I appreciate about breathing in general is that our lungs are the one muscle that is controlled unconsciously, but that we can easily take control of with our consciousness. By consciously controlling our breath then, it helps to take control and regulate the rest of our body, and subsequently our mind.

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  7. David "Shinzen" NelsonApril 17, 2011 at 12:36 PM

    @Felicia: Glad it worked for you...
    @objecpers: As goes the breath, goes the mind for sure. Thanks.

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  8. kevinApril 18, 2011 at 4:55 PM

    that's a good weapon to have in my arsenal. I've got about six weeks left and I will have sat 20+ minutes everyday for a year. After that I may relax a bit and this could come in handy. I can no longer tell the difference, either physically or mentally, between sitting 5 minutes or 40 so maybe 10 breaths could work in a pinch.

    thanks

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  9. David "Shinzen" NelsonApril 18, 2011 at 8:29 PM

    Let me know how it works for you Kevin...even tho zen does or does not 'work'...it is as it is as it is...hands palm to palm

    ReplyDelete

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