The Zen Studies Podcast Zazen Part 2: How to Deal with Thinking, Stay Engaged, and Maintain a Practice
Mar 2, 2017
Discover strategies to manage distracting thoughts during meditation. Learn how to remain engaged in a practice that often seems passive. Uncover the keys to maintaining a consistent zazen practice over time. Find out how cultivating self-awareness and patience can enhance your meditation experience.
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Return Calmly To Sitting
- When you notice you've been caught up in thinking during Zazen, don't react or judge yourself.
- Simply return to wholehearted sitting and let go of the wandering thoughts quickly.
Use Impermanence To Engage
- Stimulus-independent thinking arises strongly when we lack engaging tasks or entertainment.
- Contemplating impermanence can make the present moment feel more interesting and valuable.
Sleeping During Early Practice
- The host used to fall asleep every time he sat Zazen in his early practice years.
- Despite this, the practice still profoundly transformed his life.