Submitted by chris on
I’ve posted previously about the dramatic effect mindful meditation is having on my perception of time’s passage. I concluded that the rapid rate at which the days, weeks and years seem to pass is largely due to inattention to the present. This theme continues to grow in my daily life, and it continues to reveal the many ways in which I mentally manage time.
Submitted by chris on
In Zen practice, sesshin is a period of time dedicated to intensive meditation, intended to enable practitioners to focus exclusively on their practice and deepen their self awareness. Usually held at a Zen center or zendo (meditation hall), sesshin traditionally lasts 7 days, each day filled with many periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), interspersed with private conversations with a teacher, work periods, meals, etc. The days are long and participants maintain silence throughout, in order to reduce distraction from contemplation.
Submitted by chris on
A year ago, I made a deeper commitment to my meditation practice: to sit in zazen (Zen sitting meditation) every day of the year. At that time, I had been steadily increasing my practice over a number of months, using Insight Timer on my iPhone to provide some structure and track my sessions. The app has grown from a simple timer into a world-wide community fostering all types of contemplative practice through online socialization and support groups.
