How To Be "ZEN"

[LittleSally]

Zen practice may calm our mind, bring more clarity, and infuse us with greater kindness.

Just to set the record straight, REAL religious Zen practice is not these things I enumerate here, but it IS the popularized version also refered as "Zen" that we're talking about here today. We can percieve that word as an equivalent of the phrase 'cool, calm, collected'.

• A habit


• Simplicity


• A state of peace


• A state of mind


• A minimalist aesthetic


• Living simply


• A destination


• Just being in the moment

If you're looking to calm your life down, relieve stress and become a happier, more relaxed person try following these tips:

Use focused breathing to clear your head of distractions or moments of stress or anger.

Clear your mind - make it a 'beginner's mind' instead

Take in any stressful or challenging situation unencumbered and unfiltered by your knowledge and conditioning and learning (it will help open your mind up to other ways of thinking).

Be mindful of your own feelings

When we are mindful of anger, sadness, nervousness and joy we acknowledge them, welcome them when they appear but we do not cling to them. When we feel love or happiness we welcome these feelings. It should be the same with anger and nervousness. All these feelings are our mind, body and consciousness communicating to us. When we are mindful of them we can only become wiser and more insightful.

P.S.

Not really zen-like at all, but some calming tips nonetheless:

ASMR videos on Youtube - if you have trouble falling asleep or calming down, if you have anxiety issues, just try listening to some of these videos and see if they work for you. Be mindful (haha ;)) of the fact that you'll probably have to seek through some people on Youtube to get the one you really respond to.

Calming nature sounds - raining, thunder, blizard, waves crashing, wales wailing...whatever relaxes you - use it.

Look at calming photos or videos. In the time of the Internet - it's all accessable.

[Phoenix98]

It's a good thing you made it clear that you weren't actual trying to achieve real zen zaizen, because consciously trying to achieve it, that alone makes it impossible.

This is good stuff for calming down though.

[COCOCHANEL]

nice tips (*^^*)

[Tromba]

Funny thing, first time I read a book of Zen koans almost all of them made perfect sense to me. I mean perfect sense, they were inevitable.

[lePoivre]

I love the photos you used for this. They are very zen =)

[Kelfuma]

I know quite a bit about Zen but it didn't help me back then. I'm going to church now!!

[YourFutureEx]

My god those pics are so serene 😇

[LittleSally]

The effect I hoped to achieve. =)

[YourFutureEx]

Absolutely :) It makes people smile.

*marks this as trending so that more sad souls of GAG will read this* :)

[LittleSally]

Awww thank you. ^-^

Beautiful sights, sounds and smells really do cheer up people's spirits. =)

[KidanisCortes]

So basicallyjust meditate on a daily basis?

[LittleSally]

Yeah, but keep it conscious - so to sooth yourself in the long run I guess.

[vekin]

Do you use this yourself?

[LittleSally]

I try to. Not always easy, though.

[vekin]

What is your personal favourre of the things you have mentioned?

[LittleSally]

Out of the "p. s. Tips" I like all equally. From the three main points above achieving the beginner's mind is my favorite but also the most difficult one.

[vekin]

Yes indeed that isn't that easy as it seems to be

[Zorax]

Great advices, I like Zen philosophy

[orphan]

write more, less pictures.