Zen is not a philosophy or a religion. Zen tries to free the mind from the slavery of words and the constriction of logic. Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. Zen is meditation.
Zen is a popular school of Buddhism founded by the Indian/Persian monk Bodhidharma, who in the 8th century traveled to China to teach meditation. From that point, his teachings developed into the lineage of Chan in China, being later exported into Korean (Seon), Japan (Zen), and Vietnam (Thien). All of these are known collectively as “Zen”. It refers to mind without mind, to the state of "no-mindness". That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything. The essence of Zen Buddhism is achieving enlightenment by seeing one's original mind (or original nature) directly; without the intervention of the intellect.
Zen is big on intuitive understanding, on just 'getting it', and not so into philosophising. Having a Zen attitude means finding mindful awareness of the present moment. This will help you release yourself from stress, anxiety, frustration and anger. Instead, focus on positive thoughts and actions that will help you relax and respond in a more balanced way to your everyday life. The opposite of Zen - or the acquired wisdom about reality - is ignorance.
Zen Yoga is essentially a practice without expectation. It trains you to completely immerse yourself in an activity without giving a thought to the results, repercussions, or awards. It does this by emphasizing on physical alignment, the flow of energy in the body, and awareness. Zen Yoga is a result of various wellness experiments by exceptional spiritual masters from around the world that evolved into a great self-developing practice. The physical exercises of Zen Yoga help you open up, unblock the body, and prepare it for sitting meditation. It is a gentle process that is concerned with awareness of the body and its sensations.
Practicing yoga with an empty mind is Zen Yoga. Do not practice the poses for good health or flexibility. Execute them for the sake of doing them and nothing more. All the good that comes with the practice will anyway happen. That's the unique element of this practice, we still do the same asanas as in Hatha Yoga (preferably using the simple ones in order not to take too much our attention) but we do them with the main goal to empty our mind and prepare for meditation, not to become more flexible or having better balance, to reduce pain or improve certain aspect of our physical body.
Oki-do yoga is a system originating with the Japanese teacher-healer-philosopher Masahiro Oki. It is a unique blend of traditional Indian hatha yoga with Zen meditation, dancing, physical games, martial arts, and chanting. Japanese Yoga is a study of the principles of nature and how they can be refined to help us realize the truths of nature and our full potentials. There is no standard official title for "Zen Master" across the various Zen traditions in Japan. Various titles may be used: "Sensei" (simply "teacher") is often applied in addressing the Zen teacher or "master".
Empty your mind & Enjoy !
Facebook: check here
.
.
.
.
.
.