The beginning of Zen

For me, inner peace is a top priority.   I believe the battles we have in our minds can be won.  Our inner struggles must be confronted in order for us to live our best lives.  Let's explore some Zen habits that would help us with this; These are common themes from the Zen Buddhist framework:

• Being in the moment 

If you are eating then just eat.  If you are taking a walk, just take a walk.  When I focus on what I am doing, I notice I enjoy it more.  I know now this can be a challenge because we move so much faster with having all the technology you can have in the palm of your hand.  I no longer believe in the idea of multi-tasking but believe in doing one thing at a time.  When I do this, I feel like I am living.  I enjoy my food more, or whatever it is I am doing at the moment.

• Sitting Quietly

I hear my deepest thoughts in stillness.  I love when my stillness speaks.  Zen actually means meditation and you do not even have to mediate to take a moment and get grounded.  I gain so much clarity when I take a pause when needed.  When I notice I feel rushed, or overwhelmed, taking a step back helps me move forward.  The beginning of such practices leads to the art of non-thinking. Which is about clearing the mind and also getting into a rhythm with the mind to release unwanted thoughts and making room for the real thoughts.

• Compassion

When you practice compassion, you must remember to be compassionate with yourself.  Accepting your feelings will help.  This is not easy to do and we must learn to trust our responses; our feelings tell us what we really need.  Sitting in pain, sadness, joy, relief can be difficult and it is necessary for us to move though whatever is happening for us at the time.  Compassion covers all areas, be compassionate with yourself when your body is going through changes, be compassionate with yourself when your feelings are difficult to sit with, be compassionate with yourself when you struggle with sitting quietly.

Keep in mind, "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good.  It's the thing you do that makes you good."-The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell