Zen Meditation
The practice of Zen Meditation is at the heart of Zen practice. It involves sitting just as Buddha did when he achieved enlightenment and at the same time being aware of everything that is happening to oneself and to his or her surroundings.
Zen
Zen is a school of Buddhism that developed in China around a thousand years after the death of Buddha. As it was developing, it became influenced by Confucianism and Taoism. The combination resulted in the school’s deep connection with simplicity and the appreciation of nature.
Zen Meditation
Zen Meditation is also known as Zazen which is a Japanese word for sitting Meditation. The practice of this form of Meditation aims to attain awareness of the things happening to oneself at that very moment. Awareness includes being aware of one’s physical presence, the breathing, the sensations that go throughout the body and the person’s state of mind. Being aware of what is happening at a particular moment is the main focus of this practice.
Posture
Zen Meditation is influenced by Yoga in more ways than one. An evidence of this influence is the emphasis on one’s posture when practicing Zen Meditation. It is for a reason that this practice is called sitting Meditation. In Zazen, the person sits down in any of the common sitting positions with the back straight and the spine aligned. Doing this helps calm the person and become focused on what’s happening around oneself.
Some of the sitting positions that one can do are the half-lotus, the Lotus Pose, the Burmese and the zeiza which is a kneeling posture commonly associated with the Japanese.
Other Considerations
Aside from the posture, there are other considerations when doing Zen Meditation. The placement of one’s hands is one of the factors to take into account. When practicing Zazen, the hands should be in the form of the mudra. It is where the palms of one’s hands lay on top of each other while the tips of the thumbs lightly touch. This helps check one’s posture. A movement in the mudra signifies a change in one’s posture so the person would have to adjust it again to the correct one.
After the mudra, there’s breathing. The person’s breathing should be relaxed and correct. Correct breathing is where the diaphragm (found at the base of the lungs) expands when inhaling and contracts when exhaling.
The eyes should be half closed; just open enough to let the light in and keep oneself from falling asleep.
The practice of Zen Meditation takes a lot of concentration as well as a lot of time. However, the time invested in doing this will be beneficial in the long run as this can help a person achieve a well-rounded life.
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Basics & Backgrounds
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