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The Essence of Breathing in Zen Meditation
Zen meditation is letting go of pessimistic thoughts and simply relaxing. In Buddhism, it is a contemplative discipline performed to achieve calmness in the mind and body. Most importantly, it aims for a practitioner to understand the nature of life to obtain enlightenment. To fully experience positive results of Zen meditation, there are three general methods to consider such as (1) Concentration; (2) Koan Introspection; and (3) Shikantaza. Concentration is the main emphasis to start Zen meditation. You need to focus on your breathing which is commonly ministered by counting. Let breathing be your shield to any distraction. On the other hand, Koan Introspection focuses on "koan." Koan is an entity used for meditation. "Just sitting" or Shikantaza is meditation where an object has no place, instead mere concentration is needed. Once you have chosen a specific method, then it is time for you to be aware of the common positions undertaken in Zen meditation. Burmese Position At first glance the said position looks like a simple cross-legged position. With the Burmese position, you need to situate your feet so it will be in front of one another and let both your feet relax on the floor. You need to…
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Calming the Mind: Meditation and Relaxation Techniques
There are many ways to relax, and one method that is quite effective is meditation. How will you do it? Perhaps you've already heard other people talking about meditation. It's not as hard as you think. The idea revolves around focusing your thoughts to a certain relaxing thing over a sustained time. This way, your mind is able to rest, and your thoughts about stressful things are diverted elsewhere. Your body can recuperate and relax through meditation; toxin build ups are also cleared away. You will notice that while you're meditating your breathing slows, your blood pressure is reduced, the muscles relax, anxiety and irritability are reduced, stressful thoughts and lactic acid are eliminated, clears your way of thinking, headaches and stress are also lessened, and you can now concentrate and focus fully. Focusing on just a single thing is the true essence of such activity. This is an active process unlike that of hypnosis. All your mental faculties should be concentrated on the meditation's subject. Meditation is usually done for about 30 minutes, so be sure that you're in a comfortable position. You can lie on your bed, sit on your favorite couch, or choose any position that you're…
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