Zazen, the secret of Zen

Zen encompasses a set of beliefs that originated in the 6th century AD from the philosophy of Buddha Shakyamuni. These ideas were passed from one disciple to another, reaching our days. This transmission of ideas is what is known as the line of zen, which is developed through the practice of zazen.

Its diffusion through Western culture did not reach until the beginning of the 20th century.when it was introduced into our society through the love of martial arts or Japanese-style garden decoration.

What does zazen consist of?

Zazen is based on practicing meditation in the lotus position, with legs crossed, back straight and arms resting on the lap. Through this practice we can achieve a great change in our spirit, so that we can become one with the entire universe.

Although we believe that this philosophy may be somewhat crazy, The precepts of zazen have been followed for centuries, giving rise to countless customs in different towns and even the birth of a religion: Buddhism. This religion uses the bases of zazen to develop an entire philosophy of life, focused on meditation and an extrasensory connection with the universe and other forms of life.

Therefore, Buddhism is, in essence, a belief that is born from zazen and puts its ideas into practice.. It already contained the idea that there were seven Buddhas before Buddha Shakyamuni, who developed this philosophy. This would mean that the practice of zazen is so transcendental that it dates back to times before its own definition.

How to practice zazen?

If we want to follow this interesting philosophy, which will also provide us with many of the benefits that we could achieve through traditional meditation, it is good that we take the following points into account.

1. The posture for meditation

Posture is one of the most important elements in the practice of zazen. It is best to sit on a round, comfortable pillow. Next, we will cross our legs in the lotus position, or simply rest the soles of our feet on the opposite thigh (in case the lotus position is uncomfortable for us).

The back should be completely straight, the head upright and looking forward. We will also let our hands rest on our lap, and with the palms facing up, with the thumbs touching their ends.

Finally, we will relax our shoulders, with the tip of the tongue on the palate, and We will fix our gaze on some point on the ground, approximately one meter from us, without observing anything in particular. With this posture we will achieve balance both physically and mentally, being able to put meditation into practice in a comfortable way.

2. The importance of breathing

Once we have adopted the correct posture to meditate, we will have to focus on our way of breathing. Deep and slow inspiration is restarted, so that our lungs gradually fill with air.

3. Thoughts during meditation

The last aspect that we must take into account will be the work that we will do specifically on the mental level, paying attention to the thoughts we handle. In this sense, it is recommended try to clear our mind, freeing it from all kinds of thoughts, plans or worries that may assail us. This does not mean that we should block them, but simply let them flow without focusing our attention on any one in particular.

Precisely, to achieve this, We focus on breathing, which is what we are really doing now. Breathing thus becomes a way to anchor ourselves to the present while we increase our body awareness by making an effort to maintain ourselves in the posture we have described.

As we can see, zazen is a fairly simple practice that only requires a little physical effort and repetition. This is precisely what makes zazen similar to life itself.: Effort and repetition are what will allow us to achieve good personal development and adequate progress when pursuing any goal, being able to apply its philosophy both in the personal aspects of our daily life and in the professional ones.

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