The Zen of Weight Loss
05 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized, Zen
So I decided a couple of months ago that I was going to lose 20 – 25 pounds because I had become fat. Most people looked at me and said “You don’t look like you need to lose weight”, but trust me, I had at least 20 pounds of deadly heart-attack fat draped around my waist and I wanted to lose it because heart attacks suck, and because it was painful to bend over and tie my shoes in the morning. Those really were the two main reasons for my decision.
At the same time, I had a realization that there is a billion dollar a year industry pitching all sorts of gimmicks, tricks, and pills for weight loss in the US, but I also understood that it really comes down to simple math; fewer calories in than calories used each day or nearly each day and weight loss will happen because the body will burn fat for calories to make up the difference. Pretty simple deal. Now all I needed was a way to easily and accurately track my daily intake of calories and compare that to my daily caloric expenditure and make sure that the intake was slightly less than the outlay most days. I found an iPhone app called “MyFitnessPal” and that was the answer; it was so easy to use that I couldn’t believe more people weren’t doing this. Literally every food I have ever heard of is in their with the calorie count and all the other nutrition information. All I had to do was log each meal and any snacks into the app and it kept track for me. The app also told me that to reach my goal of losing at least a pound a week I would need to eat less than 1,800 calories each day. That was fairly easy to do. Mainly I just had to eliminate the cream and sugar from my morning coffee and pay attention to my meals, avoiding the really high calorie stuff like gravy, fried foods, pizza, pasta, and so on.
Anyway, the Zen part comes in here: Eating right is a practice that takes discipline but has both immediate and longer term rewards; just like Zen meditation. As soon as you start (within a few days or maybe a week) you can feel the difference and the benefits of the practice and it’s so rewarding that you are compelled to continue. It doesn’t even feel like a sacrifice; it feels like a challenge that you can absolutely win with just a little concentrated effort.
Today I weighed in at my goal of 175 pounds (down from 200) and it’s been just 65 days since I began. I’m now going to uninstall the app and begin manually maintaining my new weight through conscious choices and self discipline. I will let you know how that goes in a couple of months. The moral of the story? Weight loss, like Zen meditation is simple, but not easy (and not too difficult). It’s just a commitment to action that one can be certain will result in the achievement of a desired outcome. I wholeheartedly recommend both!
Cheers.
The Joy of Anticipation and Preparation (a.k.a. Present Moment Awareness)
14 Aug 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized, Zen Tags: awareness, bliss, joy, present moment, zen
Enjoy it before you enjoy it.
I’ve noticed that preparing for and anticipating fun and exciting things is better than the actual thing in itself. I started thinking about it this morning as I was making coffee, toasting a bagel, and taking out the trash. I found myself looking forward to the coffee as I heard the coffee maker sputtering as it does near the end of the brew cycle. I began enjoying the smell of the toasted bagel as it was nearing completion in the toaster. And the trash? What about the trash? Well that was when I realized what was really going on. I noticed that I was getting excited about taking the trash out too because that meant that I would be able to relax and enjoy my coffee and bagel without feeling guilty that I hadn’t done anything productive yet.
So, I discovered, it is in the preparation for and anticipation of good things that true bliss is found. The actual thing is rarely as fun or enjoyable as we expect it will be so the expectation itself is actually more rewarding. This holds true for meditation as well. Meditation is actually very enjoyable, calming, and relaxing but the joy we feel about it is often in advance of the actual sitting. As we are planning out the time for Zazen, arranging our cushion, clearing our schedule so that we have twenty or thirty minutes of uninterrupted time available… this is when meditation is its most enjoyable.
But then this logic begs the question; why not just do the preparation and anticipation and skip the actual “doing the thing” part altogether? That’s a little more difficult to explain but I believe it has to do with Quantum Potentiality. You can do a Google search on Quantum Potentiality and read some articles to get a feel for what I mean, but for now I will just say that the Quantum Universe knows whether or not the thing being prepared for is actually going to happen; time is non-linear. If the Zazen never happened then the preparation and anticipation would not have been so enjoyable; if I would not have sat down to enjoy the coffee and bagel, then the preparation and anticipation would somehow not have been as rewarding. Likewise if I get caught up in the “thinking about” enjoying the thing then I have ruined it. We must live fully in the present moment in order to really enjoy its beauty and potentiality.
So; bottom line: you have to do the actual thing (Zazen, drinking coffee, eating bagels, etc.) in order for the preparation and anticipation to be as blissful as they are, but don’t forget to enjoy the preparation and anticipation because they will actually be better than the thing itself.
P.S. I know what you’re thinking about, and yes; this holds true for that as well. 
Why are Meditators so Damn Happy?
16 Apr 2011 4 Comments
in Uncategorized, Zen
People often ask me why people who practice Zen Meditation seem so positive and happy all the time. That’s a great question, and it can be answered from a few different perspectives. Or I should say, there’s more than one reason that people who meditate seem more positive and upbeat than the general population. First and foremost; meditation allows the mind to return to its natural state of intrinsic calm and unclouded understanding. This leads to seeing problems in a new light; without projecting our judgments and biases onto them. When we consider a problem or challenge from a base of non-judgment and non-bias we don’t become “emotionally hijacked” by the situation. Instead, we remain in the state of intrinsic calm and are able to quickly see what needs to be done to overcome the challenge or solve the problem. Zen Meditation also leads to a clear understanding of our non-self nature so we come to realize that there is no “self” to defend from opposing view points. This realization leads to reduced tension in the face of arguments and differing viewpoints.
Another reason for the apparent positive and happy demeanor of those who practice meditation is that their brains actually become more healthy and produce more healthy levels of calm-inducing neurotransmitters like serotonin, melatonin, and norepinephrine than those who don’t practice. Numerous studies have been done over the past few decades proving these assertions. So with a more healthy balance of neurotransmitters, happiness arises more easily and is more sustainable.
Meditation practice leads to happiness for several real reasons
Now I’m not saying that folks who meditate don’t get angry or have a bad day from time to time. We do. However those who practice meditation regularly are able to bounce back and recover more quickly from those bad days and they experience anger at a different level; often quickly realizing how silly their anger was and moving toward action and away from the negative emotions. I’m not talking about feigned happiness or goofy detachment from reality, I’m talking about a genuine feeling of well-being that leads us to be more happy more often.
In any case, if you notice that meditators are generally more happy and positive than the general population – why wouldn’t you give it an honest try for yourself? Practice meditation as outlined in my book for 30 days and then ask someone close to you if they can tell any difference in your demeanor. It works every time.
Mind Like a Wild Monkey!
10 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Meditation Troubleshooting, Zen Tags: challenges, meditation, zen
Monkey Mind plagues everyone who meditates
One of the most common and ubiquitous challenges that anyone faces when learning or practicing meditation is “Monkey Mind”. This is the condition of having racing thoughts that swing about wildly like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. Sometimes it appears that there is no rhyme or reason for the wild variety and breakneck speed of thoughts that seem only to crop up exactly when we want stillness of mind.
Well, the good news is that Monkey Mind happens to everyone including the most experienced practitioners of meditation. No one is spared from the wild and random thoughts that seem to come fast and furious when we sit down to meditate, and the act of intentionally trying to repress these thoughts actually makes things worse. What then can one do to tame the wild monkey? The same thing one has to do to get an over-active child to calm down and go to sleep; be patient and know that ultimately he will come to rest of his own accord.
While you’re waiting for the thoughts to subside and stillness to take over however, do yourself a favor and take note of what thoughts crop up and where they come from. Don’t engage the thoughts or follow them to their conclusion, just notice that thoughts have arisen and let them pass away. Soon you will be enjoying the bliss of “Samadhi” – the stillness of an aware mind that is free from thought. This is the payoff of the patience you have exhibited in allowing the monkey to come to rest. Enjoy it.
Like monkeys, thoughts will come to rest naturally if we are patient.
Get Off Your Butt! – Walking Meditation
09 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Zen Tags: chanting, meditation, walking, zen
Walking meditation is very similar to sitting meditation in its intent and effect, but obviously it is done while walking. Here’s how to do walking meditation (called Kinhin in the Zen tradition): after your sitting meditation session, take a moment to rub your legs and feet and make sure that you have good blood flow and feeling before you try to stand up. I can tell you that it’s not much fun to stand up and try walking only to realize that one leg is completely asleep and non-functional (I’ve stumbled straight into a wall before). Once you are confident that your legs will cooperate with your intention to do walking meditation, stand up and place your left hand over you right with both hands resting against your upper abdomen. Keep your gaze low as you slowly begin to walk along a predetermined path. Your path might be around the perimeter of the room you’re practicing in or it could be a path outside in the woods or even a walking labyrinth if you have access to one.
The pace of walking meditation should be very slow and deliberate; paying attention to the feeling of each foot coming to rest upon the earth, one in front of the other. Check YouTube on the Internet for video examples of “kinhin” or “walking meditation”. You may find two or more different explanations for how to do walking meditation, but there are similarities so any example will work, but I suggest the slow walking variety rather than the quicker walking variety. Remember that walking meditation is not done with the intention of getting somewhere, so there’s no need to rush. After ten minutes of this slow walking meditation, return to your cushion (or chair) and do another session of sitting meditation as outlined in an earlier post.
Group doing walking meditation while chanting a Sutra
Zen Practice Will Change Your Life!
09 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized, Zen Tags: meditation, zen
Yes. Zen meditation practice will absolutely change your life. Whether you need to get more focused, improve your physical and mental health and well-being, or gain emotional stability; Zen practice will get you there. And the best news of all? It’s not just for Buddhists! Zen meditation is the property of all mankind, and everyone is invited and encouraged to take up the practice. Want the quick version of how to do Zen meditation? Here you go:
Fix your gaze on the blank wall or on a space on the floor a comfortable distance in front of you. Remember that your head should be tilted ever so slightly downward, but not drooping to the point where your chin touches your chest. Your head should not tilt to one side or the other, and there should be no strain on your neck. Allow your eyes to relax, your eyelids can be allowed to droop, but not to fully close, and your vision can be allowed to blur out of focus if it happens naturally. The whole idea is to get the body into a posture where everything is self-supporting without any need for constant adjustment, fidgeting, or strain.
Now, take one slow, deep, cleansing breath in through your nose, using your stomach muscles to pull the air all the way down into your belly. Immediately allow the air to escape naturally back out through your nose and then begin breathing at normal pace; neither forcing deep breaths in nor forcing full exhales out. Just allow breathing to happen as it naturally does, but pay attention to the feeling of your breath as it gently comes in and goes out. Audible breathing is incorrect for meditation, as is gasping and “coarse” breathing. The correct breathing for meditation is normal, fine, relaxed breathing. It is sometimes difficult to pay close attention to the breathing process without actually controlling it consciously, but this is what you should strive for. Allow breathing to happen and maintain awareness of it, but don’t control it. Finally, begin to count every exhale. Count each exhale from one to ten, and then start over again at one. Remember not to control the breathing – just pay attention to it.
meditating in the petrified forest of Arizona
More details will follow in future posts. Any questions?
zenteacher1
