Things You Should Know About 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 that can offer this 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.

One of the best seating positions to do this is called the Burmese position. There is also the full lotus, half lotus, kneeling or “seiza” posture and sitting on a chair.

The key here 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.

Your eyes should be half closed and your head should be positioned to a 45 degree angle towards the body. Given that it is not easy to keep the eyes like this the whole time, you can try closing them first and then opening them later on. Should you get sleepy, just open them wide.

The challenging part is staying in a stationary position for 15 to 20 minutes. 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.

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.

Aside from the right posture, you should always wear loose clothing. It is not wise to practice this after a heavy meal because a full stomach usually creates discomfort which in itself is a distraction.

If you would like to learn Zen Meditation, you can read about it or better yet join a group. Once you get the hang of things, you can even buy a few accessories to make the experience a fruitful one like incense sticks, a bell or even a ringing bowl to mark the start and end of a session.

Short incense sticks burn for about 45 minutes while the longer ones are double the time. You can even use the kitchen timer since no one will be there to ring the bell to say time is up.

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. Should your mind wander off, concentrate a little harder to focus once again on your breathing so your thoughts will settle down naturally.

Many us need to follow an exercise program, in order to remain healthy.  Below, you’ll find several good reasons why you should start exercising now.

1.  Contributes to fat loss
It is well proven from scientific research all over the world that physical exercise contributes to weight loss.  If you burn more calories than you consume through nutrition, you’ll lose weight.  When you exercise, you burn more calories than when you don’t.  It’s really simple - the more you exercise, the more weight or fat you’ll lose.

2.  Prevent disease
The chances of developing several various diseases has been proven to decrease when exercising.  These diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a stroke.

Around 4 out of 5 deaths caused by heart disease and cancer, are linked to factors that include stress and lack of exercise.  We all know that diabetes increases the chance for heart attacks and strokes. What this shows, is that many of the risk factors and diseases caused by not exercising are working in conjunction to damage your health.  To prevent this from happening, start exercising.

3.  Improving disease
Many severe and minor diseases can be improved or even healed through regular exercise.  These even include the diseases listed above.  By following a regular plan, you can also decrease HDL  cholesterol levels, decrease triglyceride levels, and decrease your blood pressure as well.

Exercising on a regular basis will also reduce the risk of prostate cancer for men, breast and uterine cancer for women, and much more.  All of this is scientifically proven, which is why you should start exercising today.

4.  Enhance your state of mind
Everyone knows from the many scientific studies that regular exercising will lead to an increased release of endorphins in the body.  These chemicals will fight depression and make you feel happy.  The body releases these endorphins only 12 minutes into the workout.

There is another chemical known as serotonin that is increased during and after a workout.  The increased levels of serotonin in the central nervous system is associated with feelings of well being and decreased mental depression. The chemical can also help you sleep better at night.

5.  Enhance your wellness
When you are in great shape and well fit, you’ll have more energy and you’ll notice that your overall mood is improved. You will have experienced that you can stretch beyond your own limits and you know that you can do more than you thought possible.

6.  Persistence
Exercising regularly will give you more energy, which can help you be more productive at home and at work.  Exercising can help give your new goals a sense of purpose and give you something to focus on and aim for.  This can help you increase your persistence and prevent you from going off track while you aim for your goal.

7. Social capabilities
After a workout on a regular basis you can boost your self esteem. This can help you look better and you’ll be more comfortable as well.  Exercise will also help you to become more active and meet new people, which will prevent you from feeling isolated and unsupported.  Exercise will also increase your interests in sex, and can help you to improve your marriage or your partner relationship.

After knowing all of these tips and reasons to exercise, you shouldn’t hesitate to get out there and exercise.  You can exercise at home or go out there and join a gym. There are several different ways that you can exercise, all you have to do is select a few that you like.  Take a little bit of time out of your day and start exercising - you’ll feel better than ever before and your body will thank you.