Religious Zen

Why meditate?

Meditation is a mind calmer. It takes an active mind that generally entertains every thought that enters it, and slows it down. You become much more focused and relaxed. The mind is then generally able to free itself from conscious thought and you become simply aware. Religious Zen is all about simplicity, and meditation helps bring that to one of the most important aspect of ourselves: our mind.

Meditation is an important foundational skill for many spiritual practices. Everything from New Age practices to even certain Christian sects has elements of meditation in them. You do not even need to be religious in order to benefit from a clear and sound mind. I know several atheist/agnostics that regularly practice zazen and it benefits them very well. Many studies are available through a quick Google search that show the value in meditating.

You could think of your mind as several layers. Each layer is ‘deeper’ than the other. The outer layer is your everyday consciousness. This is the active you. The thinking, moving, eccentric, spontaneous, shy, outgoing, you. When you first begin meditating one exercise that is recommended is to count your breaths. That occurs on this layer of the mind, just before you begin getting deeper into meditation.

The next layer is your subconscious mind. This is the automatic part of your brain. You often don’t actively think about breathing, or how many inches to the right you need to move your hand to grab a ball, because your mind takes care of this for you. This also includes your memory and all that data you store in your brain throughout your lifetime. During meditation, when you seem to have thoughts spill into your head with clarity that you don’t normally experience, you are tapping into the subconscious mind.

The next layer after that would be your dreaming-state. This is, obviously, when you are lying in bed and dreaming away through the night. Your brain is actually very active during this period of time. A good night’s sleep, or at least REM sleep for all you polphasic sleepers, is required for many things. This includes growing and recharging the battery of your mind. It gives you the ability to feel refreshed. This is the goal for many who meditate, and it is why it seems to reinvigorate you after a good session. Though you never actually fall asleep, one can attain the feeling of having slept for several hours. It is a wonderful experience.

Enough of the why. Let’s begin a meditation routine!

The first part to beginning your routine is selecting a place. Where do you feel most connected to your higher-self, the universe, or your spirituality? Meditating outside with nature is a great way to get in-tune with the ebb and flow of life. It is hard for those just beginning, though. There can be many distractions that would pull a new practitioner out of his or her reflection. For many others, however, it is in the home- it is for me, anyway!

Next, choose a time. When is the place around you at it’s quietest? I enjoy relaxing in the evening because I am a night person. Others will find it is quietest and most serene in the mornings. The afternoons might be a good time if you stay at home during the day. It is obviously going to be quiet with the spouse and children out of the house!

Music comes next. First decide if you even want any. I love a good celtic CD or oriental themed music. Choose something that aids you rather than distracts you. Music with distinct lyrics usually isn’t the best choice for starting out. Drumming is also a good technique if you want to consider that. You could listen to it through a CD or physically take a drum and beat it slowly! In the end you may prefer silence to noise. Again, it is entirely up to you how you express yourself.

After that it is time to choose the style. There are many different styles. I am giving links to a description of each in this article at the bottom of the page, but it is by no means an all encompassing aspect of each practice. Each aspect has volumes written about it that I will not go into right now. Choose one that speaks to you, or make your own! That is the beauty of meditation. You can be wonderfully free to choose your own path to self improvement.

Here is a sample practice that is especially good for beginners. Feel free to modify it to suit your needs and tastes. It is how I began and I encourage you to do it at least once a day at a time of your choice.

Breathing Meditation Exercise.

• First, get into a quiet place. Let anyone else in the house know that you need at least 10 minutes of undisturbed quiet time. If need be, disconnect your phones and turn off any alarms or electronics that would be a nuisance.

• Find a place in your house to meditate.

• Begin playing music that you would like, if any.

• Sit tailor, lotus, or half-lotus style on a cushion placed on the floor. The lotus and half-lotus can be challenging at first, but the idea is to not get so comfortable that you get sleepy.

• Close your eyes.

• Focus your thoughts on your breathing. Begin counting your breaths one at a time. Don’t force your breathing, let it flow naturally. Simply count. If thoughts other than counting come up simply acknowledge them and get back to counting.

• Do this for as long or as short as you like. The goal of this exercise is to get acclimated to sitting posture and the emptying of thoughts.

To really see the effects of meditation in your own life, begin a regular meditation practice. Over time the benefits of this will become clear and an everyday part of your own self. Stick with it and you will have succeeded in a technique that has been used for thousands of years to become calmer and more content with your life. I hope this article has encouraged you to do so!
Related links:

Meditation techniques and practices-

Drumming Meditation

Zazen meditation

Yoga meditation

Walking meditation

A simple meditation technique

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