"Which Zen Meditation Technique Works Best For You? One Of These Will Be Perfect For You"

By: Mark Syme Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Even though it seems strange, there is a meditation technique and many zen meditation practices will help anyone. We have accumulated so many poor thinking habits, it only makes sense that we need a few little tips to change our habitual thought patterns. We're constantly thinking, but often thinking of nothing much, how much more joy could be get out of life if we were present?

This should be an exciting thought, not disappointing! If so much of what is going on in our mind is the same, it is extraordinarily easy to step outside of the day to day mindset, just by becoming aware that you, are not your thoughts.

Most meditation techniques fall into two categories, open focus meditations and single focus meditation.

Open Focus Meditation

This is where there is no particular focus. The aim is to let any thoughts that arise come, and go. Not being caught up in the thoughts, developing the observation. The part of us that says ‘I’ think, not I am the thought. Some people fin d this to be very difficult as they get caught up in every fleeting thought that goes through their mind. I mean, that’s how most people live their whole lives and never even think that there is any other way of being.

Others find that it as easy to let go of each thought, as it is for the thought to arrive. One way to approach this is to try and establish a distance beteen yourself and the thought. Examine it and then release it, most of the time it's no loss!)

Single Focus Meditation

Not surprisingly, single focus meditation differs by in that there is an object that we want to focus on. Many people find this to be an easier method to begin with, and it is often useful to use a positive affirmation as the focus. You really can use just about anything that you like for the focus but here’s a few of the most common things:

Candle flame: Light a candle and place it in front of you where you won't be disturbed. Settling yourself, begin to let the flame fill your awareness and imagine feeding any stray thoughts into the flame. As your mind calms you gradually close your eyes, but imagine the flame burning brightly in your mind’s eye. If you feel the image wavering, you can open your eyes and re-establish the image.

After a surprisingly short time you’ll be able to clearly picture the candle flame any time that you want to and experience that same calming effect. The candle flame is a classic image but you really can use any image that is unlikely to stimulate too many thoughts – that’d sort of defeat the purpose a bit!

Breathing: We all breath all the time, but we don’t breath the same. There is a vast difference between a shallow, unobserved breath that merely sustains us to a conscious, living breath that brings us focus and calm with each inhalation and exhalation. Take a moment right now and feel the flow of the air in and out of your lungs, just observe, don’t judge or analyse.

Most people will notice that they become more present, more aware and calmer, in a few seconds of this practice! Breathing really if the stuff of life and observing the breath we observe life.

Just sitting calmly and focusing on the breathing and what it feels like, cold or hot, shallaw, strained whatever, will bring huge benefits. Usually you’ll find that the breath slows and becomes deeper automatically with observation. Also, try counting how long you breath in for, and out for. Is there a difference? How much?

There's heaps of techniques that yogis use by counting their breath. Each technique brings it’s own benfits and effects, but all are very useful for just about anybody.

Calming your mind is a prime focus of zen meditation, and these meditation techniques will help you deepen and expand your experience. I hope that you’ll find these little tips to be useful in developing your meditation practice and getting the most that you can out of every one of your meditation sessions. We can only put a certain amount of time aside each day and it’s important to make the most of the time we have.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

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