Sky Birch

As a followup to my “Stillness vs. Stagnation” entry I want to share another site that may be useful. Zazen, provided by the Dharma Rain Zen Center, details a Zen meditation.

Za-zen means seated-meditation. Zazen is a place of refuge far beneath our everyday involvements, a place where we turn inward for peace, for the answers to the deepest questions of life, and for the ability to meet our lives with wisdom, love, and compassion.

What I found especially beneficial at this site was the discussion of variations of posture. As I’m adopting a more traditional posture in my meditation it’s been helpful to see midway steps to help ease the transitioning. As one kind commenter shared in my previous entry, a more traditional posture may help avoid the drowsiness that can sneak in and interrupt my meditation (another mentioned he’d be likely to fall asleep in a rocking chair as well).
Nacho, of WoodMoor Village, left a comment on “Stillness vs. Stagnation” (he was, in fact, the one who commented on the rocking chair) that included, among other suggestions, a tea and coffee drinking meditation.

Instead of sitting to meditate, light the incense and prepare yourself a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and sip it softly, taking a sip and then taking two or three mindful breaths in between each sip. You can do one breath in between if you like.

After reading his comment I visited WoodMoor Village, where I spent some time enjoying his writings. Of general interest may be “Zen & Sex,” which clarifies the Buddhist approach to sex and sexuality nicely, as mindful rather than prudish.

I enjoy sharing music, book and film recommendations with others, especially here at FrozenTruth.com. Of late, though, I’ve accumulated quite a list of art I wish to share and have not yet. I hope to find the time this week to sweep over some of the most memorable discoveries I’ve made. For now, I suggest you listen to samples of Tracker’s Polk, atmospheric music perfect for late nights and long treks.

The image accompanying this entry is one of several I took on Monday here on the patio of the hotel I work at. Sitting where I do while using my laptop I’m able to see the sun rise each morning. On Monday the color of the sky in the morning made that birch on the lake shore appear especially beautiful.

2 comments on “Sky Birch”

  1. That was your first? My first large concert was Rockfest ’99 in NB. I saw Thrush Hermit, Matthew Good Band, Big Wreck and Collective Soul. It still stands as one of the best concerts I’ve seen. Summersault was quite a memorable event though.

  2. The Pumpkins and APC were great (as were the Foo Fighters and other bands on that bill). Collective Soul was long my favourite band, though, and they were spectacular live.

    Auf der Maur is quite wonderful (one of my not-so-secret crushes), though most folks that went to that concert told me that Matt more than held his own.

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