Zen Meditation Instruction from Yokoji Zen Mountain Center (http://www.zmc.org), a Zen Buddhist Training Center located in the Southern California mountains. Instruction is given on how to sit zazen (seated meditation) in various positions - full lotus, cross legged, using a chair; also tips on breathing and how to go in to and out of meditation periods.
@BGlogowski: part 1 of 2: That's a very pertinent question, perhaps the trickiest to answer and very subtle to practice. In zazen we do not conjure up things to think about, and neither do we attempt to cut off thinking. The practice is to see what is here and experience our life in it's totality. This includes all the senses and thinking. Thoughts are the secretions of the mind. Like any other organ it serves a vital purpose.
YZMC 3 months ago
@BGlogowski: part 2 of 2: However, we tend to be "thought addicts", relying on the logical mind to interpret an illogical experience. In practical terms when sitting zazen and thinking occurs, resist the urge to follow the thought trail and construct a story. This separates us from the experience of our environment and strengthens the illusion of a separate defined self. Rather experience the thought, do not add to it, and return attention to your current practice, such as counting the breath.
YZMC 3 months ago
what is zen?
timcondi 4 months ago
@timcondi Funny you should ask that... check back in the first week of November and we'll have (hopefully) a few new videos posted, one of which will approach that question.
YZMC 4 months ago