Design Your Life with Beauty--For You, Your home, Your Environment
As someone who experiences chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety and is affected by the worrisome events happening now I have had to put into practice what I learned, and researched for the past two decades, I share it with you here in a five part series.
What is Zen? (A reminder)
Zen originates from the tranquil practices of Buddhism. The general idea of achieving Zen or peace in life is to simplify and tone down the stress and distractions that may pop up. Here is the second out of five very basic yet effective Zen habits to adapt to a calmer, more relaxed lifestyle.
Make Time for Yourself
Unwinding After the Long Day
There’s no better feeling than when you can finally lie down after the long haul. The workday is finally over, and all you want to do is close your eyes and sleep.
But don’t. Excessive sleeping can ruin your schedule and wreck your mood. This is the opposite direction of Zen. What you need to do is find a way you unwind without going to sleep. Occasional naps are not forbidden but make them routine and you’ll find that you can’t shake the habit off.
Try having a hobby instead that you can look forward to. If you feel too tired to commit to anything, go outside and get a breath of fresh air. There is no better freshener than Mother Nature herself. It’ll energize you and keep you running for the rest of the day.
Start slow after you come home, and dedicate your immediate time to small activities. Energize yourself after you’ve regained your balance and are ready to tackle bigger tasks. Remember, when you’re enjoying your own time, everything works at your speed.
Meditation
There’s nothing that can absolutely replace the pastoral relaxation of meditation. When you find that the world is quiet and still, that’s the best time to sit down and contemplate everything you have to offer yourself. Indirectly, this means you should meditate at dusk or dawn when the world watches the sun rise and deplete. It’s quietest then and perfect for a few steady moments of contemplation.
Some people enjoy fitting in calming sessions of yoga. You can go with anything, so long as you get a few soothing minutes to yourself every day that can help you clear out your mind.
To start, you need to sit down in a quiet spot by yourself where you can have a few minutes of peace. Since meditation comes with so many benefits and possibilities, most people will worry that they’re doing it wrong, or they haven’t done it long enough. These are all irrelevant thoughts that create worry. In the time you have to meditate, your thoughts should be flowing but not concentrated.
Here’s a breakdown of what should be inputted to your meditation times.
1. Commitment. Meditating is something worth dedicating to as it provides mindfulness which can, in the long run, help you understand you and your life more. You can start to comprehend your way of thinking and expressing just by inquiring your spare moments with yourself.
2. All of your emotions. The only way you can have acquaintance with yourself is by understanding how you think, you feel and are feeling. Let all these come out while you relax and are aware of the moment you’re currently experiencing. It takes a weight off of your shoulders, knowing and accepting your current emotions. Embrace them, and you’ll feel better.
3. Breathing. You should always focus on your breathing when meditating. Deep, slow breaths will create a timid beating heart and relax your system. If your breaths are raspy and sharp, then you’ll never gain anything from your meditation. You need to live in the moment as it’s happening, making every second count.
4. Other things you can do is join a group so you’re not doing this alone. Doing it with a group, you can also get pointers and help for if you aren't getting a flow. Some people also tend to work better when there are other people with them. Ask friends to join you who’ll sit quietly with you and help your concentration.
All of these factors working together will help establish healthy sessions of meditation with fruitful benefits.
Other than meditation, you can once again, make it routine to apply all your favorite hobbies into your daily schedule. It feels good coming home to something you enjoy
Wishing You Wholeness