How is Zen practiced?

The practice of Zen, in principle, is no more than the five elements of diet, sleep, body, breath and mind, and the latter three are more important, the purpose is to regulate the body and mind, the key to talk about physical and mental health and unity can not leave the breath.

1. Warming movement

The main method of body conditioning generally refers to the sitting posture of meditation, in addition to the sitting posture, there are walking, standing and lying methods, which is known as sitting meditation, walking meditation, standing meditation, lying meditation

Before and after sitting also need to have sports and massage to do to assist. For our body and mind to be healthy, we must emphasize both movement and tranquility. Exercise and massage is to make the blood circulation smooth, qi flow lively, muscle and nerve relaxation, in order to make the body comfortable, that is, the so-called qi and after the heart calm.

If the body lacks exercise, the physiological functions will be prone to aging and disease. Exercise enables the physiological functions to relax from tension, so that they can get more nutrients and opportunities for rest. The movement of a Zen practitioner emphasizes the concentration of the mind and the harmony of the breath. Exercise for Zen practitioners is itself one of the methods of practicing meditation. So our approach to body conditioning is to emphasize both exercise and meditation.

The exercises we teach require only two meters square, or the length of a person, or even a small space for the body to sit and stand; and they can be practiced safely by men, women, children, the young and the old, the strong and the weak.

After getting up in the morning, do not meditate before activity, you should first do a set of simple warm-up exercises, so that the tendons and bones loose and then meditate.

2. Head Exercises

Before each sitting, regardless of whether or not you have done the warm-up exercises mentioned above, you should do the following head exercises.

After sitting down on the futon, first place both hands flat on the right and left knees without exerting any force, sit upright, and then do the four steps of the head exercise: ① lower the head down, then tilt it back; ② tilt the head to the right, then tilt it to the left; ③ turn the head to the right, then turn it to the left; ④ turn the head in a clockwise direction, forwards, to the right, upward, and left, and then in an anticlockwise direction, forwards, to the left, upward, and right. Do each step three times without moving your body and with your muscles and nerves relaxed. Move slowly and softly, with eyes open and breathing naturally. The purpose of the head movement in so that the blood in the head to reduce, reduce the momentum of the ups and downs of thought; so that the mind fresh, gradually serene.

After the head movement, put the left and right palms on the dantian (about three fingers below the umbilicus), the two thumbs touch each other, forming an inverted triangle, inhale a deep breath, and then slowly exhale and bend downward, palms press the abdomen to help exhale the gas until the gas is completely exhaled, and then do three consecutive deep breaths. The purpose of deep breathing in the body of the turbid gas discharge, exchange of fresh air with oxygen, so that the blood circulation is smooth.

3. The Seven Branches of Sitting Method

When you have done the preparatory movements, you can start sitting in meditation. The orthodox method of sitting in meditation is the Seven Branches of Sitting. The so-called seven branches of sitting are:

(1) Double-legged cross-legged sitting - there are two styles:

① Ruyi Auspicious Sitting - usually with the left foot underneath, the right foot is placed on the left thigh, and then the left foot is placed on the right thigh, which is known as Ruyi Auspicious Sitting.　　　② immovable vajra sitting - the right foot under the left foot on the right thigh, and then the right foot on the left thigh, known as immovable vajra sitting. These two ways of sitting, for the elderly and beginners, it is difficult to do.

The beginners who are unable to sit in double cross-legged sitting can change to half cross-legged sitting in single cross-legged sitting, as long as one foot is placed on the other thigh. The left foot under the right calf or the right foot under the left calf is fine.

For those who are unable to sit in double and single cross-legged, there are easier ways to begin.

The above sitting methods are only slightly different from the sitting posture and hand posture, but the rest of the standards are still the same as those stipulated in the Seven Branches of Sitting Method. The most effective, fastest and stable sitting posture is still the most difficult cross-legged sitting. Therefore, even if a beginner is unable to sit in a double-legged position, he should at least practice more to get used to a single-legged position.

(2) Straighten the back and spine--After the legs are coiled, lift up the waist, don't lift up the chest, head up to the sky vertically, lower jaw inward, and press the throat knot with the jaws.

(3) hand knot method to define the seal - two hands circle knot, the right hand in the lower, the left hand in the upper, two thumbs gently connected to form a circle shape, gently placed flat on the dantian under the □ part of the leg.

(4) Relaxing the shoulders - relaxing the muscles of the shoulders, consciously as if there were no shoulders, no arms and no hands.

(5) Tongue licking the palate - tongue licking the salivary glands in the upper gums of the incisors, do not force, if there is saliva is slowly swallowed down to the belly. (6) Close the mouth - whenever possible, only use the nose to breathe, do not open the mouth to breathe, unless there is a nasal disease.

(7) eyes slightly open - closed eight apart from two points, the line of sight placed in front of the body of two, three feet on the ground at a point, not to see what, only because the eyes are open, the heart is easy to scatter; closed eyes, it is easy to faint. If you feel tired after keeping your eyes open for too long, you may want to close them for a while.

The purpose of meditation is to seek a stable state of mind, and the mood and breathing have a very close relationship. That is to say, in order to adjust the heart, must first start from the adjustment of the breath. Whether it is Chinese Taoism, Indian Yoga, Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, or Chinese Tiantai Sect, when it comes to practicing meditation, it is important to emphasize on the issue of breathing and the adjustment of Qi.

The human body's physiological and psychological movement and stillness have a dependent relationship with the qi and breath of respiration. Breathing is the sixteen times per minute in and out of an ordinary person's breath. When a meditator's breathing is slow, deep, long and subtle, it is called "breath". The power of the breath drives the blood to produce energy, and the energy produces the function that energizes the physiology, which is called "chi. When the meditator feels the effect produced by the qi, it is called "realization", and those who have experience of realization will feel that sitting in zazen is indeed one of the great blessings and favors of life.

Now please stand up and practice the exercises before meditation together. After you have done the exercises, sit down and do head movements and deep breathing.