The Art of Zen Living

“Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.”

-Mary Schmich

I know I should be nice to people.  I know I feel better, they feel better and my day goes better when I am.  I’m calmer, more relaxed, and better able to deal with whatever comes my way.  I find I do better when I’ve had a chance to meditate.  I do 2 different kinds of meditation right now.  The first kind is the more traditional, sitting cross legged on the floor with my eyes closed kind, which I tend to think of as “back to one”.  The reason I think of it that way is simple.  I sit, I clear my mind, and I begin counting my breaths.  I feel the inhale of air, and as I exhale I count “one”.  The idea is that I count my breaths up to ten, and then back down to one.  If at any point in time my mind wanders, I start back at one.  I’m still a beginner, so all too often my meditation practice goes something like this:

“One….”

“Two….”

“What should I have for dinner tonigh…awww, crap.  One….”

More » »