You know, it's really strange. Not two days ago, I was researching Zoan, Soto Zen, and Zazen extensively, trying to find out more about it, and started practicing. And now, you post up this helpful video.

A sign? Meh, who knows; but thanks.

I dunno finch, my wife and I have both had a run of "think of something and then a day or two later here about repeatedly" it's like the coincidence meter is off the scale right now.

"...a run of "think of something and then a day or two later here about repeatedly" it's like the coincidence meter is off the scale right now."

That's happening to me a lot now, too.

I practice zazen. Some things that work for me:

• Start Slow - five to ten minutes per session


• Count the in-breaths and out-breaths seperately


• Work on getting your mind to the point where you're not counting your breaths, but mindful of them


• Try to break the session when you're not distracted


• Have some sort of ritual to demarcate the ended session, like bowing and repeating some sort of positive phrase aloud

It makes my knees hurt like crazy to sit cross-legged. So I meditate in a chair, lying down, or sometimes even standing up. I'm sure the Zazen posture is helpful, but it's not for me, and my meditation gurus say that's ok.

I'm a Christian, not a Buddhist, but meditation techniques are still very useful. Instead of trying to still what he calls Monkey Mind, though, I find it more useful to just observe what thoughts your mind comes up with, and either discard them for being irrelevant, make a mental note if its something I should do, or think about it if its something meaningful. After spending some time just watching your thoughts bubble up like bubbles in a soda, eventually they run out and you can feel peaceful and calm -- especially since you know you've taken care of your sub-conscious' to-do list.

This video makes me so so so happy. It has been way too long since I sat. For a few years after reading Trungpa's Sacred Path of the Warrior, I would sit almost daily.

Thank you persephone!

I needed a reminder of the benefits too. This vid was one, then just today I came across an interview with Matthieu Ricard. I liked his idea that meditation is a form of training for the mind. If we have some negative characteristics that we want to change, we need to work on it and meditation is a good way to do this. I think I need to work on a certain chip on my shoulder.