Being zen 2

Being ZenBY JAYLYN GALLOWAY

What is that thing called Zen from?

The art form branches out form the Mahayana Buddhism that originated in the Chinese culture in the late six century known then as Chan.

Soon it spread to influence the Japanese and Korean countries becoming an important factor to daily meditations.

The art form emphasizes finding enlightenment with ones self with a teacher rather than from the doctrines and books filled with endless knowledge on the subjects.

In short the form has to do simply with you as a person.

What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment is the action of being one with ones self and tuning in with the thoughts that pass between the person and his soul.

Being able to become centered and blocking out all the outside world distractions.

In the eighteenth and ninetieth centuries the movement of enlightenment was more of reason and individualism rather than tradition.

The three basic functions of Zen

One: Overseeing the breathing portion of the meditation which many tend to start out with the sitting position of the lotus leaf(crisscross apple sauce). Then relaxing and starting with counting backwards to be able to be numb to outside influences.

More Steps

Step 2: The mind is the most important factor of the mediation portion as one needs to be conscious of their thoughts and get in tune with them. Being able to pass and soothe out the stress that is in the body.

More Steps

Step 3: Meditation its self is another important key factor as the whole Zen religion is based on this. The maximum amount of meditation time is thirty minutes that can also include breaks and snacks. Sleeping is required also as one may sleep for up to seven hours or more.

The Zen Holiday!

In the Zen religion the most celebrated day is the Buddha birthday which is a two day event from morning till nightfall.

The beginning is revolved around blessing the next generation of monks and the next Buddha.

Next it is followed by some eating and mediations among the people.

The last event is the lighting of the lotus lanterns which they put their renewal to the faith in and send them flying to the heavens.

Now for the stress part

The nature of the Zen religion is not to try to make people believe in the faith or to become monks themselves.

Though it does stress that it is to be used as a way to break out of the daily stresses that people tend to have from their everyday lives.

Stress causes the body to become depleted of its much needed energy causing anger and tiredness.

So to do away with that Zen is here to help.

Relax and Relax some more

Pick a spot that is all yours where the outside dramas and stress cannot reach you.

Than pick a comfy spot and try to close your eyes focusing on what makes you happy as a person and count back.

Breathing all the bad energy of the day away and in with the new and happier energy.

Eating? Why not!

Eating different types of food can cause the body to relax and to be in better spirits here are some examples of those that you can eat.

Dark chocolate is one the best things to give to the body as it releases endorphins to the brain.

Blue berries which offer vitamin c which fights the stress the body is under and offers high fiber along with it.

Beef is another meal that can distress a family in need of it.

Relaxing Positions

Some types of relaxing moves or exercises that can reduce stress are.

Number one: Yoga

Number two: Running

Number three: Boxing

Number four: Rock climbing

These and others are great ways to over come overwhelming emotions as you don’t have enough time to think about them.

Works Cited

Einstein, Dorie. "10 Superfoods for Stress Relief." Better Homes and Gardens. N.p., Sept. 2004. Web. 11 Oct. 2013

Kwan Um School of Zen. "What Is Zen." Kwanumzen.org. N.p., 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

"Zen." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.