Foundation of Meditation

Starting a Meditation Practice with Zen

By Justin Casteel

    Everyone knows someone who they would describe as “Zen”. It’s a word that has entered our social consciousness, and people throw it around quite a bit. But, what is Zen anyway? Most people’s concept of Zen is a state of being “chilled out” or relaxed. Real Zen is a little bit deeper, and I hope to be able to shed some light on Zen and how it can be used to begin a meditation practice.

    Zen literally means “meditation”. The word comes from the Hindu concept of “Dhyana” which has the same translation. Zen Buddhists are called the meditating Buddhists. The whole concept of Zen meditation is the understanding of the original mind, sometimes called the ground of being. This might sound like an esoteric concept, but in Zen they think of it in quite ordinary terms. The Zen practitioner seeks to understand the mind before thoughts arise. He seeks to understand who he is originally- without labels, judgements, philosophy, or emotional baggage. In Zen, the goal is to achieve a level of watchfulness that can burn up thought patterns and habits that cause us to fool ourselves, or otherwise create pain and problems.

    Zen is deeply related to the concept of “mindfulness”. Mindfulness is the practice of using our innate faculty of awareness to be fully engaged in each moment to enhance both our ability to perform well and enjoy our activities, but also to prevent the mind from getting distracted and causing unnecessary problems. Think of this in terms of writing an email. When someone sits down to write an email, the mind comes in and says, “Hey, don’t forget to wash the dishes. Have I checked my Facebook recently? Maybe someone “liked” one of my posts. Oh, and I forgot to watch that new episode of my favorite show so I can talk to people at work about it tomorrow. Did I pay that electric bill? What am I having for dinner tonight?” Even if these distractions don’t prevent the email from being written, it can make the whole process take longer or become stressful. In Zen meditation, we learn to quiet the mind and focus on one thing at a time. A Zen master would say that we are learning to live fully in each moment of time. This makes Zen quite unique, as there are no rules to follow, no philosophy to memorize, and no complex rituals. Instead, writing an email becomes a ritual and washing the dishes becomes an important spiritual experience.

    Zen meditation is also quite ordinary. The highest technique in Soto Zen is called “shikantaza” which translates to “just sitting.” Just sitting sounds quite simple, but try it some time! At first it might seem very relaxing, but you will notice the mind starts getting distracted right away. You might feel uncomfortable, or get frustrated that you’re not seeming to accomplish anything. The brain often demands to be constantly entertained! Learning to let the brain be quiet while still being watchful is actually a very practical skill that can be developed through the practice of meditation. The value of being quiet and watchful is inestimable and can be life changing if practiced regularly. But beyond obvious benefits like enhancing concentration and being more disciplined, the Zen master would remind you not to focus on the goals, but to focus on the process. It’s like a flower unfolding- there is no specific point at which a flower becomes a flower, but instead it is the process of budding, blooming, and eventually falling away that makes a flower truly beautiful. So, if you are interested in meditation, just sit, be awake in your sitting, and try to be like the flower- beautiful where you are in your process of unfolding!

What is “Qi” Anyway?

Making Sense of Energy as Applied to Eastern Movement Practices

By Justin Casteel

            There is a lot of confusion when beginners are approaching systems like Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong.  A lot of terminology is thrown around, and eventually it becomes part of the language used to describe these arts.  Words like “prana”, “Chakras”, “qi”, “Dan Tien”, “third eye”, and “meditative” are all now commonplace when talking about the Eastern Movement practices, but much of the time there is no practical, working explanation of what these are, why they are important, or how to interact with these concepts meaningfully in everyday life. Let’s explore together some of the foundational concepts of energy and see if we can make it practical to life and gain an insight on how to use them to enhance the healing effects of movement.

            Energy is vital.  Everyone pretty much would agree.  When you wake up in the morning, you want to get up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of the day.  People supplement their energy levels with coffee, vitamins, trying to exercise, and maybe even self-help programs.  We all want to feel good.  More than that, we all want to have the boundless energy of a child, and a clear, calm mind with which to approach our work and hobbies.  But oftentimes things get in the way.  Stress, fatigue, mental cloudiness, and discomfort or disease block our enjoyment of life.  Sometimes, we are just in a “bad mood” or simply can’t find any enthusiasm to even go out and do something we normally enjoy.  Think about going for a walk in the park- sometimes it’s just too much effort to get in the car and drive there, even when you can imagine how good it would feel!  This is where the so-called “energy arts” come in to play.

            The Chinese concept of energy is called “qi”.  Qi in Chinese theory is one of “Three Treasures” that every person on this planet is born with; these Treasures are called “Qi”, “Shen”, and “Jing”.  Here, we are going to explore the concept of “Qi”.  In Chinese medicine, this life energy is distributed through channels called meridians.  The meridians are like channels or vessels where qi flows to distribute life force to organs, bones, muscles, brain tissue, so that everything is linked together in what can be thought of as a web of life.  The meridians also act like rivers, sometimes getting choked by debris so they flow slowly, and sometimes they overflow their banks and flood the surrounding areas.  Too much or too little qi is thought of as harmful, so the idea in Chinese theory is to maintain harmony in the system.  The Indian framework for this concept is called “prana” and the channels are called “nadis”.  There is a great deal of correspondence between the two systems in this regard.

            Many people are also familiar with the concept of the “chakras” from yoga.  Thought of as energetic “wheels” or plexus found along the spine, the chakras are theorized as embodying emotional and physical processes.  Again, bringing the positive sides and negative sides of emotional and physical states into harmony and balance is said to ensure that the chakras have the correct “spin” to ensure good transition of energy through the system.  The Chinese Taoists called these centers “cauldrons” and said that the most important center was the “Dan Tien” located midway inside the body, three fingers breadths below the navel. The Dan Tien is thought to be the “storage battery” for the Qi or life-force.

            This basic description is a general consensus of what I have read and found to be true in my practice, but it leaves very little in the way of practical application.  To make this information useful, it must be put into a framework that can be applied in daily life.  For this end, let’s explore some of the practical side of energy.

Qigong means “energy work”, but it also can mean “relating”.  Energy is interpreted by your system as sensation.  Try this experiment: touch your arm.  What happened?  Well, the kinetic energy of your finger was measured by touch receptors in your skin, so you felt the pressure of your finger.  Pretty cool, huh?  In qigong, we learn to relate to the different sensations of the body and learn how to bring them into balance.  In the first stages, we learn to deal with physical sensations like the postural stresses of standing and moving.  In deeper stages, the subtle energies of the body can be felt directly and by learning to relate to the sensation and degree of experience, can make adjustments so the energy can flow more freely through the channels.

The interaction of the mind with the body requires the mind to be calm and well-ordered.  Meditation, breathing exercises, and gentle movements allow the mind to become more focused and more subtle.  In fact, attaining a calm mind is considered pivotal in order to have any success in cultivating greater energy!  Spending time doing breathing exercise is more than just cultivating lung capacity- it’s an important tool for relaxation and mental focus.  So, the foundational stage of learning to work with energy is learning to slow down and pay attention. This is the first lesson to learn, and every lesson that comes after will reinforce the principle!

In summary, energy is an important part of your life that is often augmented through outsides sources like caffeine or supplements, but by slowing down and paying attention to what you feel, you open up space to affect your energy directly.  By learning to breathe, and learning to move in ways that open your channels, energy can be directly improved from within.  So take some time today to stand or sit for a little in silence- listening to your body, listening to your breath, closing your eyes, and allow your mind to be relaxed but focused.  If you can do that, even that simple practice can leave you feeling refreshed and energized.  Good Qi everybody!