“My body is fragile and vulnerable,” I said to myself. “Death will come to me whether I’m prepared or not.”

I was walking along a suburban, Florida sidewalk with my trusty mini-Schnauzer, Sgt. Pepper. I breathed out gently through my mouth and looked at a beautiful magnolia tree. Then, a Muscovy duck, with its strange, red head, waddled across the sidewalk. Sgt. Pepper bristled at the duck but didn’t bark.

I smiled. “Good dog,” I said, praising him for his restraint. Then my little rescue pup fell into stride with me and I felt the warmth growing in my heart. I love this little guy so much…

Then I resumed my Death Meditation practice: “Death will come to my dog whether I’m prepared or not,” I said to myself.

Really? Death Meditation? Now?!?

When I first learned about Death Meditation, it sounded crazy to me. Maybe it sounds crazy to you too. Especially now.

At the time, I had just won a battle against major depression and for the first time in years, I was no longer having suicidal thoughts. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to thinking about death.

Let me be clear that Death Meditation is not the same as having suicidal thoughts.

However, this technique can be uncomfortable to practice for some people. It’s not as fun as most other qigong techniques.

So I ignored it for years. And maybe the timing isn’t right for you either.

If you’re currently in crisis, if you’re having thoughts about harming yourself, then please skip this technique for now. Here are some helpful alternatives for you:

1. If you’re in crisis and having dark thoughts about harming yourself, then please call 1-800-273-8255, or click here: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Seriously. These people can help you even if you have no idea how that’s possible.

2. If you’re not in crisis, but you need to talk to someone right now, then visit the 7 Cups of Tea website. You can chat live with a trained active listener 24 hours a day. It’s a cool site. Check it out!

3. Go through my the free qigong program that I released to support people through the pandemic.
4. You might also want to read an old article of mine called: Here’s a Method That Is Helping Depressives Get through the Winter

What is Death Meditation?

The word Maranasati means “mindfulness of death”. It’s a 2500-year-old Zen technique that traces back to the Buddha.

One of my readers, who happens to a qigong and kung fu teacher in India, sent me a short audio file with the proper pronunciation of “maranasati”. Check it out below. (Many thanks to Sifu. N. Gowri Shankar of India for this recording! How cool is it that the internet can connect two Sifus from opposite sides of the planet?!? Amazing!)

Western culture has had similar practices to Maranasati. For example, the ancient Greeks had the Stoic tradition of Memento Mori. Here’s a quote from the most famous Stoic of all time that sums it up:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” – Marcus Aurelius

The Maranasati technique can be summed up as follows:

Breathe gently as if taking your last few breaths. Look at death instead of looking away. Feel the truth of it, the inevitability of it, the fact that you too, will one day die.

Why on earth would someone do such a thing? Why would someone want to imagine dying? Or worse — their beloved dog dying?!?

Short answer: Because meditating on death makes you feel more alive.

Now for the longer answer…

When You Feel Helpless…

Normally, my morning routine consists of qigong, coffee, writing, and walking the dog. I specifically avoid reading the news.

But lately, that’s been hard for me. The news is so crazy — every single morning — that I can’t help but peek.

It’s always a mistake. It stresses me out. The news makes me feel incredibly helpless. I don’t know about you, but I HATE feeling helpless.

Maybe that’s why I love qigong so much — because it’s so empowering. I know from experience that when I’m feeling helpless, I need to take action, to do SOMETHING.

Maybe you’re thinking that I should’ve gone and done some qigong instead of meditating on death?

Duh. Of course. I do my qigong every day!

But on some mornings, I need extra-strength medicine. That’s when I reach into my Zen toolbox for the Death Meditation.

Okay, but WHY meditate on death?

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that meditating on death is not morbid, nor is it crazy, nor is it even that weird.

I believe that meditating on death is one of the sanest things that we can do.

Death unites us all. We’re so busy rushing around that we forget that none of us are getting out of this thing alive.

If you don’t believe me, perhaps this article from The Onion will convince you.

World Death Rate Holding Steady At 100 Percent

Funny, right?

See, we’re okay with cracking jokes about death, but otherwise, we prefer to ignore it. We don’t talk about it. We don’t look at it. We don’t think about it.

In forgetting to feel our mortality, we lose something precious — the feeling of being fully alive.

And that’s exactly why we need to practice Maranasati.

The 9 Contemplations of Master Atisha

There are many ways to “look” at death, but the 11^th century Buddhist master Atisha gave us some nice tips. [source]

1. All of us will die sooner or later.
2. Your lifespan is decreasing continuously.
3. Death will come whether you are prepared or not.
4. Your life span, like that of all living beings, is not fixed. 
5. Death has many causes.
6. Your body is fragile and vulnerable. 
7. Your loved ones cannot keep you from death.
8. At the moment of your death, your material resources are of no use to you.
9. Your own body cannot help you at the time of your death.

Wow. So this Atisha guy wasn’t messing around! Those are some serious contemplations!

How to Practice

It’s best to choose one of Atisha’s contemplations and just practice that for a day or a week.

You can practice while sitting, standing, or walking. It’s the essence of the technique that matters most, not the form.

If you already know qigong, then I recommend that you practice this technique during your walk before or after your regular practice session. Instead of walking for 1 minute, walk for 5-10 minutes and use one of the contemplations.

If you don’t know qigong — then my book is the most affordable way to get started. It comes with a free online course, and thousands have already benefitted.

Then experiment with Maranasati, and see what works for you. Does it work better if you practice it before your qigong session? Or is it better afterward?

If you have questions, please post them in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to help you.

Why I Stopped Looking Away

I have a tendency to look away from death. I get scared, and so I’ve looked away for a long time.

I’m sure you’ve looked away too. I don’t blame you. I know what it feels like.

But as I get older, I find that I’m practicing it more and more often, even if there’s nothing crazy happening in the news. (You know, for like 2 hours or so.)

I practice Maranasati a lot these days because I desperately need it. Perhaps the current events will spur you to try the technique for the same reasons.

I’ve gotten to a point where I feel like I’m done looking away from death. This shadowy vision is already there, lurking in the back of my mind. I can’t ignore it or wish it away.

Feeling Fully Alive…

But more than that, I find that this Maranasati technique enriches my life.

Have you ever had a close call, maybe while driving? Or maybe you had a health scare that later turned out to be negative?

After your close call, you suddenly felt your aliveness. You really FELT it for a change.

I know that feeling too.

Here’s something that I wrote and posted to Facebook a few years ago after a brush with death:

This is what Maranasati does for us. It’s a beautiful technique that wakes you up and reminds you that — right now, right here — you are alive.

And that, my friends is an amazing thing.

How do you feel about Maranasati? Does it seem useful to you? Would you like more on the subject? Let me know in the comments below.

The post Why Now is the Perfect Time to Practice Zen Death Meditation appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I’m writing this from a beach town in Costa Rica where I’m decompressing after a wonderful week at our retreat center in the mountains. All week, I’ve been teaching my heart out to the next generation of qigong instructors. It was an incredible week.

For those who are curious, I created this video redux, which gives you a glimpse of our week in the mountains. (Turn your sound on!)

(Click here if you want to get notified about the 2019 Costa Rica Retreat.)

Now I’m at the beach, and things are different. Here, I’m all alone. I don’t get to share delicious meals — lovingly prepared by the world’s happiest staff — with my students.

Nor do I get to practice in refreshing, 55-degree mountain air with a million-dollar view.

Here at the beach, it’s 80 degrees and humid at dawn. Okay, fine. I still have a million-dollar view. You caught me.

But many people would use the heat, or just traveling in general, as an excuse to not practice qigong.

Not me. I no longer struggle to practice, not even while traveling, not even in 80-degree heat.

I just practice.

If you think this is going to be a holier-than-thou post, read on. It’s definitely not.

I still struggle — just not with qigong.

The Struggle is Real

For example, I’m supposed to be working on my book this week. Technically, I’m on a writing retreat, not a vacation. I’m no good at taking vacations. I don’t think I’ve taken a full week off since I began teaching in 2005.

I’m not proud of this. I don’t think that my workaholism makes me a better person. But then, I love my work, so it always feels strange to stop completely.

And yet, even though I love my work, I still struggle, especially with writing.

If you’re a writer, then you know what I’m going through, just like I know what beginning qigong students are going through.

Writers are notorious for avoiding their work. Most of us never feel so good as while writing (except perhaps while qigonging), and yet we still struggle.

We resist the focus that is necessary to produce good, creative work.

I’m resisting writing my book right now by writing a blog post instead. It satisfies my inner critic because he counts this as “work”. And yet, it’s not the work that I should be doing right now.

I’m not focusing the way I should be focusing.

For those keeping score, I’ve been working on my book for nearly 2 years. I’ve faced some big life challenges during that time, but all writers face challenges. It’s no excuse.

In my defense, I have written 85,000 words, so progress is being made despite the snail’s pace. The first draft is almost finished, and then I’ll move on to the editing process. But first, I need to write about 8,000 more words.

I could do that this week — if I focused.

Focus, Focus, Focus

(Note: The links below are Amazon Affiliate links, which means that I receive a tiny commission if you use them, at no cost to you. I would highly recommend the book though, with or without the commission. You won’t be disappointed.)

In the book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport describes the ability to concentrate deeply on your work without distraction as a modern superpower. I like that description a lot.

Being able to focus, to go deeply into our creative work  — this is a skill that requires superhuman inner strength.

For example, my teaching in the art of qigong emphasizes the importance of entering into a meditative state BEFORE doing any qigong exercises. We call this Entering Zen, and it requires focus.

Entering Zen is a form of focus, a form of deep work. It’s also a superpower.

This morning, as I felt myself resisting my work on my book, it occurred to me that the same thing happens with my qigong students. And although it has been years, it used to happen to me.

We resist the “work”, the focus, the Zen — even though we know that once we’re in it, we will feel wonderful.

Am I Worthy?

People are quick to blame smartphones and devices, and I think there’s some truth to that. But I also think there are some worthiness issues at work here.

Maybe we don’t feel worthy of being healthy and happy. Or maybe we don’t feel like we deserve to be pain-free.

I often feel that way about my writing. I don’t feel worthy of publishing a book. I’ve read so many great books over the years, and who the hell do I think I am to try to follow in those authors’ footsteps?

Same phenomenon, different art. I’m betting that literally thousands of you reading this can relate to this phenomenon.

You KNOW that qigong will make you feel better, that it is good and important work, and yet you resist.

I know this because I’ve seen you struggle, and also because I struggled myself.

4000 Days of Focus

If you know my story, then you know that I struggled not only with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) but also with my daily qigong practice. I struggled to focus, even for just 2 minutes a day.

So when I see my students struggling to make qigong a daily habit, I empathize. I’ve been there. I totally get it.

But I killed that dragon. My record is 4000 days of qigong practice in a row. And even after I broke my streak, I only missed a day or two.

I suspect that there are published writers reading this who empathize with my book struggle. I’m betting that they’ve mostly solved the resistance issue and found a way to write consistently, just like I’ve found a way to practice qigong consistently.

Many of you, despite your ability to do deep work in one area of your life, still struggle to focus when it comes to qigong.

And the reverse is true for me. I no longer struggle with my qigong practice, but I do with my writing practice.

Why We Resist

All of us — and I mean every single one of you reading this article, and also myself — struggle to do things that are good for us.

• We don’t eat the things we should;
• We keep eating crap that we shouldn’t;
• We don’t exercise enough;
• We don’t meditate enough;
• We don’t sleep enough;
• We spend too much time staring at screens;
• We don’t spend nearly enough time staring at the wonder of nature.

Publishing my first book will be good for me, and also for thousands of people. And yet I resist. I’m resisting right now!

This morning, as I practiced my qigong on the beach, I had an “aha” moment, a micro-awakening. And this petite awakening is what I really want to share with you today.

The “Spiritual” Dimension

Here’s what I realized:

An inability to focus is not just a mental issue, nor is it just a willpower issue; it’s also a spiritual issue.

Okay, maybe this is not earthshattering news, but awakenings rarely are. People who are Enlightened often end up saying, in so many words, that “it’s all love.” Nothing is more hackneyed than that phrase, and yet, it’s probably still true.

And anyway, mine was a micro-awakening, not Enlightenment with a capital E!

Stay with me here.

I don’t use the word “spiritual” very often because it’s tricky. It means different things to different people. To some, it is a beautiful and profound word. To others, it just means a bunch of woo woo nonsense.

I’ve built my teaching career mainly on Medical Qigong and Martial Qigong, not Spiritual Qigong. And that was entirely on purpose.

The world is full of people making premature claims to enlightenment, and I don’t want to be viewed as one of them.

You know, like this guy:

I am not that guy. I am not Enlightened. Of course, neither is he. The difference is that I’m not bullshitting you.

However, I see now that I need NOT be Enlightened in order to talk about spirituality. 

In fact, I now believe that I MUST start talking about spirituality if I want to continue helping my students grow. And I definitely want to help my students to grow. That’s all I ever want.

The War of Art

For over a decade, I’ve tried to help my students build willpower and create healthy habits. I have a zillion blog posts on the subject and even an online course. And I’ve helped a lot of people with these efforts.

In The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield talks about the resistance that all artists face.

The book begins as a helpful and entertaining work for artists and entrepreneurs, but about halfway through, it takes a turn down a more metaphysical, dare I say “spiritual” path.

I’m also taking a turn down a more spiritual path.

Don’t worry. I promise not to get all woo woo on you. My approach to spirituality will be as no-nonsense as my approach to qigong.

But What is Spirituality?

It’s not religion. That’s something altogether different, and it’s none of my business.

But spirituality is my business, and it’s your business too, whether you’re religious or not.

There are many ways to define spirituality. Most definitions include a sense of being connected to something bigger than ourselves, and also being connected to each other.

To me, spirituality is simpler.

To be spiritual means to train your mind so that your consciousness can expand out of the mundane and begin to perceive the profound.

Artists tap into different states of consciousness and give us glimpses of true reality. In this sense, we could call art spiritual.

Mindfulness is a buzzword, and it’s definitely part of this. In my opinion, if you practice mindfulness deeply, then you will start to perceive more.

Slaying the Internal Dragon

For example, I need to train my mind in order to overcome my resistance to finishing my book. I need to escape the mundane and gain perspective so that I can glimpse the profound.

This is not just a mental process, but a spiritual one. It’s not just a matter of me using a mental trick or simply forcing myself to write.

To tackle this issue once and for all, I need to go within. I need to alter my perspective on writing, and on life. I need to master my fears and doubts, overcome my sense of unworthiness, and slay a huge, internal dragon.

And that’s EXACTLY what you need to do to overcome your resistance to practicing qigong.

Go within. Alter your perspective. Master your fears and your doubts. Overcome your sense of unworthiness. And slay that internal dragon.

This is spiritual. It is the path of the spiritual warrior. It is the hero’s journey, and it ain’t easy.

If you were hoping for a simple self-help trick to help you do this, I’m sorry. That’s not how the Cosmos works. If there were a simple trick, then billions of people wouldn’t be struggling to focus!

But here’s what I can offer you instead. I can offer to help you, with my teaching and my writing, along this path. Together, we can work on slaying our internal dragons.

Let me be clear that we travel this path together, not as Master and Disciple, but as a tribe of likeminded humans, hand in hand, helping each other as best as we can.

If you liked this post, the please scroll down and click the Facebook or Twitter buttons below my bio. And if you have a comment or question for me, I’d love to hear from you in the section below! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The Real Reason We All Struggle to Focus appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“When I try to do my qigong, I just can’t seem to let go of my thoughts,” she said. “My mind doesn’t shut up. Am I supposed to be thinking nothing at ALL?”

This question came from one of my Qigong 101 students. It’s a good question, and a common one. I get it not just from qigong students, but also practitioners of yoga, sitting meditation, and tai chi.

If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that I’ve probably received this question at least 300 times since I started teaching in 2005.

So why don’t I have a blog post answering this question, you ask?

Another good question! Let’s fix that now, shall we?

But first, a story!

I Think I Might Be Enlightened

The year was 1991. I was attending a lecture at Columbia University by Professor Robert Thurman, a famous Buddhist scholar.

Professor Thurman isn’t just book smart. He’s also one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Oh, and he’s also friends with the Dalai Lama.

So he knows a thing or two about meditation.

“I had an awakening experience last week,” the student said. “I think I might be enlightened.”

Giggles filled the lecture hall. It was obvious to all of us that this dude was stoned. I think it was obvious to Professor Thurman too, but he listened patiently.

“What’s your name?” Professor Thurman asked.

“Dan.”

“Tell me more, Dan.”

Dan explained how, since his awakening experience, he had been 100% thought free.

“The chatter in my head…you know, the radio station…it’s just, like, gone.”

“And how long has it been gone?”

“Since my awakening…like 6 days,” he said earnestly.

“So no chatter for 6 days?” Professor Thurman clarified.

“Right, man.”

Professor Thurman nodded but didn’t say anything. He paced around the front of the hall pensively, as if mulling something over in his mind. But his silence lasted longer than any of us expected, and all 50 or so Columbia students started to squirm in their seats.

Finally, after what felt like 10 minutes but was probably just 1 minute, Professor Thurman turned around suddenly and looked at Dan again.

“How about now?” he said.

Laughter erupted throughout the room, but Professor Thurman was still focused on Dan.

Dan considered the question deeply and looked as if he were meditating with his eyes open.

“I think you’re right,” he said finally, as if it were just him and Professor Thurman in the room. “I still have thoughts.”

“Don’t be ashamed, Dan,” Professor Thurman said. “Maybe you did have an awakening of some sort. But having no mental chatter at all — that’s perfect enlightenment you’re talking about, kid, and it’s a long way off for most of us, myself included.”

Mrs. Schupack, Zen Master

My first experience with meditation was in 5th grade. I think that my teacher, Mrs. Schupack, might have been a Zen master in disguise.

“I dare you to think of nothing for 60 seconds,” she said to the class. “No thoughts whatsoever for 60 seconds. Go ahead. Close your eyes and try it.”

I was 10 years old, and I thought I was pretty clever. I closed my eyes, confident that I would nail this challenge.

“Easy peasy,” I thought to myself.

“Wait, that was a thought,” I thought.

“And so was that,” I thought.

“Okay, no more thoughts,” I thought.

I squeezed my eyelids tight and did my best to concentrate. And I had a pretty good run. My mind was quiet for a second or two.

But before I knew it, I was thinking about lunch. Specifically, I was thinking about the vanilla pudding cup that my mother had hopefully packed in my lunch bag. I was thinking about popping the can open and licking the metal top carefully to get the delicious pudding….

“Time’s up!” Mrs. Schupack said.

“No way!” I thought. I felt defeated. It seemed like such an easy thing to do, but I had failed miserably.

“Anyone succeed?” she asked, a wry smile forming on her lips.

“I did,” Timothy said. I and several other students chuckled. There was NO WAY that Timothy had succeeded. He was full of you-know-what!

“No you didn’t,” Mrs. Schupack said confidently. “Because it’s impossible.”

She went on to explain that having zero thoughts for 60 seconds was not humanly possible.

Later, as I was eating my delicious vanilla pudding, I thought about what Mrs. Schupack had said. Was it really impossible to turn off your thoughts for 60 seconds?

33 Thoughts Per Minute

I’ve heard that the average human has over 50,000 thoughts per day. That’s over 2000 thoughts per hour, or 33 thoughts per minute!

This rings true to me — 33 thoughts per minute.

We’ll come back to this number because I think it’s useful for both beginners and seasoned meditators.

In the Zen tradition, we call this the Monkey Mind:

• The Monkey Mind is the radio station that Dan thought was forever gone from his head (but wasn’t).
• The Monkey Mind is the chatter that I heard in my own 10-year-old mind.
• The Monkey Mind is active in every human.

When people start to meditate, whether it’s sitting meditation or a form of moving meditation like qigong, they start to become aware of the Monkey Mind.

That’s what happened to me in Mrs. Schupack’s class. And that’s what happens to everyone who starts to meditate.

Thought Clusters

Does 33 TPM (Thoughts Per Minute) sound like a lot to you?

If you haven’t practiced meditation, then it probably does.

But if you’ve practiced meditation, you’re probably nodding your head and thinking, “sounds about right.”

Without a base level of meditative skill, it’s hard to be aware of all 33 thoughts. Your mind moves so fast that you can only track some of them, maybe not even half.

Then, with practice, you start to discover what I call thought clusters.

What at first seemed like one thought is actually a whole cluster of sub-thoughts.

For example, my 10-year-old brain started to think about vanilla pudding. But underneath that thought were many sub-thoughts, like, “it’s almost lunchtime,” and “I’m hungry.”

There were even non-verbal thoughts, like the muscle memory of opening the can of pudding. This was something I had done countless times — something I could feel in my fingers.

All of that forms a thought cluster. It’s several thoughts, not just one.

If we include thought clusters, then 33 TPM is a good example of what most people can expect when starting to meditate.

1 TPM

The goal of meditation is to gradually quiet the Monkey Mind.

You can think of this as gradually lowering your thoughts per minute from 33 TPM down to 1 TPM. But as Professor Thurman said, this is a lifetime of work.

Wait, what about 0 TPM?

I won’t even talk about reaching 0 TPM because it’s so advanced and so far from my own realm of experience that it’s practically meaningless.

In other words, even after decades of meditation practice, I still don’t worry about 0 TPM.

This was Dan’s mistake. He thought that, at the tender age of 19, with very little meditation experience, he had somehow catapulted himself to 0 TPM.

Sorry, Dan. You did good, but not 0 TPM good.

I do suspect that Mrs. Schupack was wrong and that 0 TPM is actually possible. But we’re probably talking about a tiny percentage of people in all of human history.

Are You a Child Prodigy?

Here’s what beginners and intermediate students really need to understand:

You don’t play the Schoenberg Violin Concerto after 1 year of practice.

You don’t even play it after 3 years of practice.

If you are a child prodigy, then MAYBE you play it after 10 years of practice. Maybe. And in that case, you’re one of the best violinists who’s ever lived.

The truth is that most violinists will never be able to play it. Not ever.

But this doesn’t mean that they can’t be amazing violinists! They absolutely can!

And that’s my message to you. You can be an amazing meditator without ever reaching 0 TPM.

In fact, you should probably stop thinking about 0 TPM altogether.

What’s Your TPM?

Dan thought he was suddenly and permanently at 0 TPM. Thanks to Professor Thurman’s ingenious teaching method, Dan realized that he wasn’t there yet.

Similarly, at the age of 10, with my first real attempt at meditation, I was aiming for 0 TPM. I was doomed to fail.

The student at the very beginning of this post, the woman who asked if she’s supposed to be thinking nothing at all — she was also aiming for 0 TPM.

Let me be clear: 0 TPM is not the goal.

Instead of aiming for 0 TPM, just aim to lower your TPM by 1 or 2 points every year.

That’s it. Just 1-2 TPM lower per year. That’s enough.

This is enough to get the many benefits of meditation, which is what you’re really after, right?

You want to be less anxious, to be more present, to have less pain, to have more energy, and to be happier, right?

Lowering your TPM, even by just 1 or 2 points, will start to bring you those benefits.

How To Spot a Fake Master

I’m of the opinion that most people who talk about being enlightened probably aren’t.

Here’s how you can tell.

Ask them if they are able to clear their mind 100%.

In other words, ask them if they are at 0 TPM. If they answer yes, then they’re probably fake. Go find another teacher.

(Of course, they might ACTUALLY be enlightened, in which case, sorry! You just missed an opportunity to learn from a living Buddha! My bad!)

Every meditation master that I’ve learned from admits that they are not yet at 0 TPM. In other words, even world-renowned meditation masters still can’t “think of nothing”.

But don’t let this fool you. These people are still INCREDIBLY skillful.

For example, someone who can repeatedly and reliably get to, say, 5 TPM — now that’s someone who deserves your respect!

The Bottom Line

Here are the key points of this post:

• Your mind absolutely should NOT be totally empty when meditating, whether it’s qigong, yoga, sitting meditation, or tai chi.
• Stop trying to “think of nothing”.
• Instead, just try to lower your Thoughts Per Minute (TPM) by 1-2 points.
• Remember that, in the beginning, you might feel like your TPM is increasing rather than decreasing. This is because meditation practice enables you to be aware of thought clusters.
• Most of us start at about 33 TPM (including thought clusters).
• You’ll start to reap the benefits of meditation even if you lower your TPM by 1 or 2 points.
• Most people who claim to be enlightened probably aren’t. Your miles may vary.

So there you go. There are my thoughts about…well…thoughts!

What do you think? Did you find my TPM analogy helpful? Let me know in the comments below!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Should Your Mind Be Totally Empty While Meditating? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

If you haven’t seen it, there was a wonderful article in Time last week.

I keep saying that a revolution is brewing in the world of qigong and tai chi, and this article is yet another sign. I’m thrilled to see an article like this in such a big publication.

Click the link below to go straight to the article, or scroll down to see some excerpts, and to hear my thoughts.

(Note: don’t bother watching the video. There’s no tai chi in there.)

Why Tai Chi Is As Good For You As CrossFit

Here are my thoughts on this article, and the state of tai chi and qigong revolution…

Is it Really Tai Chi?

Whenever I see an article like this, the first thing I ask myself is as follows:

“Is it really tai chi they’re talking about?”

Often, when articles and research studies refer to tai chi, they’re actually referring to a mix of tai chi and qigong.

For example, when this article says that tai chi is as good as jogging for lowering the risk of death in men, it’s probably not just tai chi that they’re referring to.

If you look at the study itself (as I always do), there’s very little detail about the kind of tai chi used. There’s no mention of the style, the teacher, or the routines used.

After decades of looking at the fine print of research studies on tai chi, I’ve concluded that they’re usually referring to a mix of tai chi and qigong.

At the very least, the participants are using some qigong to “warm up” before doing a tai chi form.

So when you see “tai chi” in an article like this, think “tai chi + qigong”.

Is it Really As Good as CrossFit?

Whether they’re doing tai chi or qigong or both in these studies — is it fair to say that it’s as good as CrossFit?

Yes and no.

I’ve done a little CrossFit. Mandi, who is one of my certified qigong instructors, was a CrossFit trainer for years. We’ve had many conversations about the two arts over the years.

If your goal is to look good naked, then CrossFit is undoubtedly a better choice.

But if your goal is to improve fitness and endurance in the heart and lungs without intense workouts…

…or if your goal is to reduce arthritis pain…

…or if your goal is to improve heart and kidney function…

…or if you want some of the many health benefits mentioned in the 600 academic papers referenced in the The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi…

..then tai chi and qigong are probably a better choice.

Mindfulness Magic

Another reason I’m thrilled about this article is because of quotes like this:

“But maybe the most compelling reason to give tai chi a shot is its ability to strengthen the connections between your mind and body, which can help you move through life with greater awareness and pleasure.”

We all know that mindfulness is all the rage right now. And that’s a good thing. Mindfulness is magic, and the world needs more of it.

When publications like Time talk about mindfulness and the mind-body connection — people listen. The research has been there for years now, but most people (and most doctors) tend to be 10-20 years behind the research.

An article like this may inspire people who otherwise might never think of tai chi to go give it a try. And that’s a good thing in my book.

Tai Chi vs. Yoga

Another quote that intrigued me was this one:

“Even with yoga, you can do it and have your mind be somewhere else,” Irwin says. “It’s very hard to do tai chi and not be present.”

I’m sure that yoga fans will disagree with this, and I think they may have a point.

Although I firmly believe that qigong will one day be bigger than yoga, people can ABSOLUTELY do tai chi without being present and aware.

The same goes for qigong.

Mindfulness has more to do with the teacher than the art.

For example, I’ve encountered literally thousands of students who had years of prior experience in qigong or tai chi but who had never been taught to apply mindfulness to these arts.

In my teaching of both qigong and tai chi, I emphasize the importance of mindfulness. Those who have learned from me know that entering into a meditative (or zen) state of mind is critical for both qigong and tai chi.

By doing this, you turn these arts into a flowing meditation.

In fact, you might even call them a flowing form of zen. Hey, that’s catchy! Flowing Zen…

Anyway, where was I? Oh right. Mindfulness!

If you want to get the most out of tai chi and qigong, then you need to learn how to bring your mind back to the present moment even while flowing through qigong and tai chi exercises.

This is called mindfulness.

Try “Tai Chi” Right Now

If you are brand new and you want to give “tai chi” a try, then click here for a free online course.

I put tai chi in quotes because you’re really learning a qigong exercise that is commonly found in tai chi called “Gathering Qi from the Cosmos”.

Whether it’s tai chi or qigong doesn’t matter. What matters is that the video and the guided audio will help you to experience the mindfulness benefits of these arts.

And when it comes to mindfulness, tai chi is undoubtedly better for you than CrossFit! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Why Tai Chi Is As Good For You As CrossFit appeared first on Flowing Zen.

It’s time to break your New Year’s resolutions! Woohoo!!

Okay, maybe it’s not quite time yet. Maybe you’ll last a few more days, or maybe you’ll even make it to February!

But chances are, you’ll break your resolutions sooner or later.

In fact, you have a 92% chance of failing with your New Year’s Resolutions.

And yet you keep torturing yourself — year after year — with this resolution nonsense. If you’re looking for a better option, then keep reading.

Genies and Willpower

The transition to a new year stirs up a deep, primal desire to grow — to become a healthier, happier, and perhaps even wealthier version of yourself.

But this kind of growth requires change.

You probably know this already. And you probably think that willpower is the secret to that kind of change.

I’d like you to try an experiment right now:

• Sit or stand comfortably.
• Close your eyes.
• Snap your fingers.
• Magically summon a new car, out of thin air.

Did it work? Are you like the Genie of the Lamp?

I’m guessing not.

Then why the hell are you trying to snap your fingers and magically create willpower?

That’s just not how willpower works. In fact, you’ve got it completely backwards!

You don’t create change by adding willpower; you build willpower by creating change!

4 Magic Words for Success

Okay, so we’ve established that you want to grow in the new year.

And we’ve established that you need to change in order to grow.

And we’ve also established that summoning up willpower is not the solution to change, just like snapping your fingers isn’t the solution to buying a new car.

So what’s the solution?

Here is an incantation that might as well be magic because it’s so powerful:

Add tiny healthy habits.

Those 4 words are POWERFUL. Don’t underestimate them. Read them again. In fact, just go ahead and memorize them.

Making the Magic Work for You

To make these 4 words work, you need to keep two things in mind.

First, the habits must be small.

They should be so tiny and so easy that they require zero willpower. Look at the list below for examples.

And secondly, you should be adding habits, not subtracting them.

For the time being, forget about subtracting negative habits. For example, forget about quitting smoking. In fact, I would argue that you really shouldn’t quit smoking.

Instead, add a tiny, healthy habit.

By adding tiny, healthy habits your energy (or qi) will flow better, and you’ll naturally build more and more willpower.

Later — after you’ve built up stronger willpower muscles — only then should you even begin to think about subtracting a negative habit from you life.

Tiny, Healthy Habits You Can Add Right Now

I recommend that you pick one or two of the habits listed below, and commit to doing them for at least 30 days.

If you miss a day, then you start your 30-day count from scratch! Sorry kiddo. With tiny, healthy habits, there is zero tolerance for failure. That’s precisely why they are so tiny.

In fact, you shouldn’t be missing too many days because the habits are so easy. If you’re missing days, then try easier habits.

Here are 9 tiny, healthy habits that you can add to your life right now.

1. Do 2 Minutes of Qigong

If you choose only one habit from this list, choose qigong.

I often describe qigong as the master key that unlocks all of your other good habits.

If you don’t know any qigong, you can go learn a 2-3 minute routine for free right here.

If you’ve never heard of qigong, then you can start with this FAQ.

2. Walk More

Have you ever seen people driving around searching for a parking spot close to the fitness center? I have. It’s madness!

It’s amazing how many people neglect a free and easy habit that can literally transform their lives.

The research is clear. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Throughout your day, there are countless opportunities to walk. Park your car on the far side of the lot, get off the bus a stop early, get a dog, or just go walking with a friend (see #7 below) every morning.

(Note that the following links are Amazon affiliate links. This means I get a tiny commission if you purchase using my link, at no extra cost to you. I read about 75 books per year, so I’m grateful for your help in feeding my reading addiction!) 

If you get an activity tracker like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch, it’s MUCH easier to measure your progress. But if you have a smartphone, chances are it can already measures your steps.

What does a tiny walking habit look like? It can be as simple as going for a 2 minute walk ever afternoon. (If it’s raining or too cold, you can just walk inside for 2 minutes!)

3. Give

Yes, you can — and should — make a habit of giving.

Why should you give?

First, because giving feels good. Humans seem to be hard wired for giving.

Secondly, because the more you give, the more you have. I recommend a wonderful book called The Power of Giving, which explains this concept beautiful.

In the Zen tradition, giving also creates good karma. This doesn’t need to be anything mystical. When you give, you immediately feel good. Instant karma.

The more I give, the more I receive. For example, my wife and I give every month via GlobalGiving. We’ve been doing this for years, even when we were struggling financially.

If you can’t give money, then give service. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, mentor a child, or give random acts of kindness.

As an aside, if you are battling depression, then you should absolutely volunteer. Go do it right now. Click here to read why I think volunteering is so important for depressives.

4. Smile from the Heart

This Zen technique is as profound as it is simple.

Smiling from the Heart is something that we practice in our 5-Phase qigong routine. But you can do it any time, and virtually anywhere.

Pro tip: set a reminder on your smartphone to Smile From the Heart every day at a specific time.

I just started using the Breathe app reminder on the Apple Watch to accomplish this. Works like a charm!

5. Practice Gratitude

Happiness is not determined by the things or even the people in your life.

What brings real happiness is fully appreciating the things and people that are already in your life.

In other words, those who practice gratitude are also practicing happiness.

And practicing happiness builds willpower.

Notice that I wrote “practice gratitude” rather than “be grateful”.  I did that on purpose.  Gratitude is an art, and it should be practiced regularly.  There are countless things and people in your life that you can practice gratitude towards.

I practice gratitude every morning via my preferred day planner, called a Panda Planner. It prompts me to write down 3 things I’m grateful for.

I also practice gratitude during my qigong sessions.

Start practicing right now. And please consider joining us for Gratitude Mondays on our Facebook page, where we practice every week.

6. Be Mindful

Zen masters throughout history have encouraged disciples to be mindful not just during meditation or while practicing qigong, but while doing their daily tasks.

Whether it’s an enjoyable task (like eating), or a menial task (like cleaning), the Zen disciple was taught to give his or her full attention to the present moment.

We call this mindfulness. This is the secret to turning daily tasks into meditation.

The infinite is in the finite of every instant. – Zen Proverb

Try it. Pick a habit that you already have, like brushing your teeth, shaving, or cooking.

Now make a habit of being right here and right now with that habit. If you can remember to do it, then you’ll increase your work efficiency, decrease your stress, and boost your willpower.

You’ll also find that time slows down, and that life doesn’t just pass you by.

7. Find a Friend

People who are approaching the end of their lives never say, “I wish I had made more money.”

Instead, they say things like, “I wish I had spent more time with my friends and family.”

Humans are social animals. We crave a sense of community, and we need it too.

This concept of community is a huge part of the Zen tradition. Spiritual progress is always achieved with the help of a community, whether it is a monastery, a group of friends, or a school.

I’m a big believer in this concept, which is why I always work hard to create a sense of community in my students, both online and in person.

Some of the other habits that I mentioned above, like walking with a friend, or volunteering at a soup kitchen, will also help to build a sense of community.

You can kill two birds with one Zen stone!

8. Practice Loving Kindness

Metta Meditation, or Loving Kindness Meditation, is an ancient Zen practice that can change your life.

Of course, it’s not just from the Zen tradition. Jesus taught similar ideas, but used different words.

The way that I teach Metta involves 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Send loving kindness to someone you love (pets count).
• Stage 2: Send loving kindness to a neutral person, like a Starbucks barista.
• Stage 3: Send loving kindness to someone you dislike (one or both of the presidential candidates, for example).
• Stage 4: Send loving kindness to yourself.

Here’s a 10-minute guided audio where I lead you through all 4 stages. It’s free.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You’re human!

It’s hard work. But it’s good work. It’s important work.

And it will build willpower like nobody’s business.

9. Breathe in, Breathe Out

You don’t need to breathe deeply, or use any special technique.  Just breathe.  More importantly, enjoy your breathing. You can do it right now, sitting at your computer.   Or go outside and breathe.

You say that you are too busy to meditate. Do you have time to breathe ? Meditation is your breath. – Ajahn Chah

Breathing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to meditate throughout your day. You can do it anytime, anywhere, and without any training.

You can do it while watching TV, while driving, even during a meeting.

It may see trite, but it really is that simple.  Make a habit of coming back to your breath, over and over, throughout your day.

The Takeaway

To create change in your life, add good habits. Start now. Pick a habit, and start.

I mean it.  Start right now, this very second. 

Smile from the heart, breathe, feel grateful, go for a walk, or whatever.

If you are serious about making changes in your life, then start building your discipline muscles right this very instant.

Start small. Make it easy at first. Gradually build up your willpower muscles over time.

As you get stronger, add more good habits. By the end of the year, you’ll not only have built strong willpower muscles, you’ll also have a bunch of healthy habits in your life.

This how you can pave the way to subtract bad habits in the future.

This is also how you’ll grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually year after year.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 9 Life Changing Habits That Require Zero Willpower appeared first on Flowing Zen.

If you’ve never experienced a state of overwhelming gratitude, a state where you felt like your heart was going to implode from so much joy, where you felt tiny and huge at the same time, where every cell in your body was buzzing with fulfillment and freedom, then let me say that you are missing out on one of life’s greatest drugs.

To get to that state, however, you need to practice.

A lot.

I often meet people who say that they practice gratitude.

When I probe a little deeper I typically find out that it’s not true. They don’t practice it regularly. They don’t practice it the way that a violinist practices the fiddle.

Gratitude needs to be practiced every single day. And not just for a few minutes. I recommend that you try to practice it for at least 3 hours a day.

If this surprises you, if you’ve never thought about practicing gratitude daily for hours — I understand.

I was the same way once. Even today, I can’t say that I practice daily for 3 hours every single day.

But I try.

How can we get in so much practice? The key is that you can (and should) practice gratitude anywhere. Any time. All the time.

Start right now. Here are some ideas for injecting more gratitude practice into your life:

17 Tips for Practicing Gratitude All Day

1. Feel grateful before putting that first bite of food in your mouth. Food is amazing. Savor it.
2. Feel grateful before taking that first sip of coffee or tea. Look at it, smell it, enjoy it.
3. Feel grateful as you feel the water getting hotter in the shower. Hot water on demand? Wow!
4. Feel grateful for running water. It’s magical. You just turn the tap, and the water comes in. Unlike a billion people, you don’t have to walk a mile to the nearest water source. Aren’t you grateful for that?
5. Feel grateful for your vehicle. In Costa Rica, where I lead an annual qigong retreat, I meet people who will never own a car. If they have a scooter or a motorcycle, they are rich. Many of us own several cars per family. Isn’t that amazing?
6. Feel grateful for your spouse or significant other. Relationships are sometimes hard, but they’re also rewarding. Be grateful that this person is basically devoting his or her life to you.
7. Feel grateful for friends. You know the kind I’m talking about — those friends who would offer to help you move without hesitation. They’re awesome, and they are rare.
8. Feel grateful for your parents. Living or dead, good or evil, they brought you into this world. Feel grateful for everything they did for you, or in some cases, for all the tough lessons that they forced you to learn. Whatever you have become is partially due to them.
9. Feel grateful for your smartphone. It’s a tiny magic device that fits in your pocket and can connect you to anyone in the world from anywhere. It’s also something that you use all day, which is a great way to remind yourself to be grateful.
10. Feel grateful for your computer. Mine recently died, and I suddenly realized how important a tool it is. I’m grateful to have a new one.
11. Feel grateful for your ability to read. Do you realize that there are people around you all the time who can’t read? More than you might think.
12. Feel grateful for your TV. Sure, it may be an idiot box, but it’s still an amazing device that can let you experience all kinds of different things. Feel grateful whenever you turn it on.
13. Feel grateful for the health that you have (even if you want more of it).
14. Feel grateful for the teachers and mentors in your life. They have helped to mold you into what you are. And whether you realize it or not, you have made some of them proud.
15. Feel grateful for your home, whether you rent or own. As you put the key into the door, or click the garage door opener (another amazing device!), take a moment to feel grateful.
16. Feel grateful for your pets. It’s an amazing privilege to be able to take care of non-human beings. Every time you touch them, feel grateful.
17. Feel grateful for your mindfulness practice, whether it’s qigong, tai chi, yoga, sitting meditation, or something else. Invest gratitude back into these arts, because they will pay big dividends. (If you don’t know any qigong, then you an start right now on this page here.)

If you join my Facebook group, you’ll see me leading what I call “Gratitude Mondays”. Basically, I encourage people to share whatever they are grateful for. I recommend that you join us.

If you don’t like Facebook, then you can also join us here. Who or what are you grateful for? Tell us in the comments below.  

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 17 Zen Tips for Practicing Gratitude All Day Long appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Marriage is so hard. No one really tells you how hard it’s going to be.

They tell you that it takes work, but they don’t tel you that it takes SOUL work.

If you want a happy marriage, then you have to be ready to dig into your soul and pull out the weeds.

America is like a marriage. We have 2 major political parties, and you may have noticed that they don’t really get along.

It’s a rocky marriage.

This is an especially crazy election season. Emotions are high. America is having daily marital fights.

It might seem like this marriage is doomed to fail, but it isn’t.

Remember that, in the history of the world, America is one of the best marriages ever. There’s hope.

It will take work. It will take soul work.

But Americans are gritty. We know how to dig deep. We’re not afraid of getting our hands dirty while pulling out some weeds.

If you feel like you’re going batshit crazy during this election cycle, then you’re not alone.

The Zen tradition has some useful tips to help you get through this election, and also to help us all work towards a healthier America.

1. The One Breath Method

You’re not helping anyone by holding your breath.

You’re not helping your cause, you’re not helping your health, and you’re not helping America.

When you stifle your breathing, you can’t think clearly, your blood flow is restricted, and your qi (or vital energy) stagnates.

In the Zen tradition, there’s a teaching that this breath — the one you are taking right now — could be the one that finally leads to your awakening.

If one breath can potentially enlighten you, then it can probably help with something more mundane, like calming your election crazies.

I call this the One Breath Method.

Try it now. Take one, complete, full breath. Breathe in gently and fully through the nose. Hold it for 1 second. And then release the breath completely through your mouth.

Release until there’s hardly any air left in your lungs. All the way out.

That’s it. Good.

You can — and indeed probably should — do this while scrolling through Facebook, while reading the newspaper, or while watching TV news.

Do it now. Do it often. Just one, complete breath. Even if it doesn’t enlighten you, it will help you get through this crazy election season.

2. Find the Frigging Goodness

Great Compassion is one of the twin pillars of Zen. (The other is Great Wisdom, which I’ll talk about later.)

In order to have Great Compassion, you must train it.

An efficient way to train compassion is to look for the goodness in people.

Everyone has goodness in them. Even Darth Vader. Look for it, and look hard.

This question will make it easier to find:

What good result is this person trying to achieve? What good do they think they are doing?

Remember what I said about marriage being hard work? Well, it’s frigging hard finding the goodness in people.

For example, if you’re pro gun control, and you have a friend who is the opposite, then ask yourself the following question: 

What good result is my pro-gun-rights friend trying to achieve? What good do they think they’re doing?

For example, I know a young woman who was raped as a teenager. She is pro gun rights because she believes strongly in protecting herself. She’s determined to never let something like that happen again. Ever.

That’s why she carries a concealed handgun on her hip at all times (legally, of course).

Whether or not you think that her solution is effective — isn’t there something good that she’s trying to accomplish?

Underneath it all, isn’t she just trying to protect herself from being harmed? And isn’t that, fundamentally, a good thing?

Of course, we can flip it the other way too.

For example, I have a college friend who is passionate about gun control. He works in a crime-ridden area of a major city where kids are frequently killed by illegal guns.

My friend actively promotes gun control as a solution to the inner city violence.

Whether or not you think his solution is effective — isn’t it a good thing to try to protect innocent children?

Maybe you think that less gun control is the solution, but underneath that disagreement, don’t both of you just want to stop kids from getting killed?

What’s the goodness that the other person is trying to achieve? Look for it.

3. Don’t Be Highly Illogical.

Only the facts matter! Charisma doesn’t matter. Spin doesn’t matter! Facts are everything in an election!

It’s a nice notion. It’s a logical notion. Spock would approve.

But Spock would also be the first to point out the fact that humans are highly illogical.

The fact that you haven’t accepted this fact proves that you are human.

It’s okay. It happens to the best of us.

Even Spock wrestled with his emotions.

If Spock, who was 50% more Vulcan than you, had such a hard time controlling his emotions, is it any wonder that you do too?

Maybe an analogy will help.

Everyone knows that sex sells, especially the advertising companies.

Pretending that elections are all about facts is like pretending that people are immune to subliminal advertising. The facts say otherwise, my friend!

Meditation is the only way out of this mess. It is the only thing that gives you the superhuman ability to control your emotions and your thoughts.

If you want to be more in control of your emotions, if you want to be more like Spock, then meditate daily.

If you already meditate and you want to help others to control their emotions — then do what I did and quit your job to become a meditation teacher.

4. Wield the Sword of Manjusri

In the Zen tradition, there is a beautiful story about Manjusri, an enlightened being who wields a flaming sword that cuts through ignorance.

Earlier, I mentioned the twin pillars of Zen — Great Compassion and Great Wisdom. Manjusri’s sword represents Great Wisdom.

And we can all learn to wield it.

Let’s take the issue of sexual abuse.

“What Mr. Trump said on that recording was wrong,” I said to a friend. “It’s wrong to objectify women. It’s wrong to joke about grabbing a woman’s pussy. It’s wrong to touch a woman without consent. Don’t you agree?”

But my friend didn’t answer the question. Instead, he skipped straight to an argument about the sordid past of the Clintons.

This is where we need to learn to wield the sword.

Think of the sword as a wise debate moderator who cuts through all arguments that don’t DIRECTLY relate to the discussion at hand.

Wielding the sword of Manjusri against my friend, I said:

“Can we please focus on one issue at a time? The issue of abuse is really important to me. I want to know whether or not you agree that what Mr. Trump said about women was wrong? Yes or no? Afterward, please feel free to ask a yes or no question about the Clintons.”

The sword cuts through the clutter. It focuses the discussion on one thing at a time. And that’s Zen.

But remember that the sword can — and should — be used against you as well. In fact, it’s a good idea to pass the sword right to your friend after you use it. If you look carefully, that’s exactly what I did in my comment above.

5. Practice Forgiveness Fu

What if your friend doesn’t agree that what Mr. Trump said was wrong? What if they don’t think that abuse is a problem?

They they are wrong. It’s really that simple.

You know that you’re right, right?

Do you need to win an argument with your friend to validate what you already know to be true?

For example, I know that racism is wrong. I don’t need to win an argument with a racist to know that I’m right.

And yet, you’re probably having silent arguments in your head all the time — even when you already know that you’re right.

You probably feel a little crazy at times?

Right?

Forgiveness is the solution to that feeling of craziness. When you practice forgiveness diligently, it’s like a magical potion that sets you free from those endless mental arguments.

It is critical to understand that forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you condone what they did.  That’s not what forgiveness means. We can forgive someone and still hold them responsible.

In fact, if they weren’t responsible, you probably wouldn’t need to forgive them in the first place.

And that’s why it’s so hard.

Remember, to err is human. To forgive is divine.

Practicing forgiveness is hard. In many ways, it’s harder than learning kung fu. Even if it’s the hardest thing you ever do, it’s worth it.

6. Practice Metta Meditation

If you don’t know how to practice forgiveness, then start with Metta Meditation.

Metta meditation is an ancient Zen practice, and it can change your life.

Of course, it’s not just from the Zen tradition. Jesus taught similar ideas, but used different words.

Metta translates to “loving kindness” or “compassionate kindness”.

The way that I teach metta involves 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Send loving kindness to someone you love (pets count).
• Stage 2: Send loving kindness to a neutral person, like a Starbucks barista.
• Stage 3: Send loving kindness to someone you dislike (one or both of the presidential candidates, for example).
• Stage 4: Send loving kindness to yourself.

Here’s a 10-minute guided audio where I lead you through all 4 stages. It’s free.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human! It’s hard work.

But it’s good work. It’s important work. It’s soul work.

And it’s patriotic work.

This is how we begin to heal our political marriage. This is how we work towards a better America. This is how Zen can help us in the 21st century.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 6 Zen Tips to Get You through This Crazy Election Season appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Winston Churchill called depression his “black dog”.

I can’t use that term.

I have an actual black dog named Ziggy who is the opposite of depression.

Long before Ziggy came into my life, before I ever heard Churchill’s quote, I was using the term “dark demon” to refer to my depression.

A bit melodramatic, perhaps, but it works for me.

I believe that depression is an epic, personal battle against the darker forces of the human spirit.

I’ve been battling these dark forces for my entire adult life — mainly with my favorite weapon, qigong.

Recently, after an unexpected Zen-like awakening, I got my metaphoric hands on another weapon to use in my battle against depression.

I now wield a mighty weapon called self love.

My Teensy-Tiny Awakening

Satori is a Japanese word that means awakening. (The Chinese term for the same thing is wù, 悟.)

On their path toward nirvana, Zen students often experience a series of satori of varying degrees.

The final satori is what leads to full enlightenment.

Zen is sometimes called the school of sudden enlightenment. In fact, there are a bunch of fun stories about a Zen student suddenly experiencing a satori and reaching enlightenment.

Here’s an example: 

A monk told the Zen Master Joshu: “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”

Joshu asked: “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”

The monk replied: “I have eaten.”

Joshu said: “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

At that moment the monk was enlightened.

(from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection Of Zen And Pre-Zen Writings, Pickle Partners Publishing, Kindle Edition.)

My epiphany was not the BIG enlightenment. I am not a Buddha.

But it was sudden, and it was an awakening — a teeny, tiny, wee-little mini-enlightenment.

And it was awesome.

I’ve never seen a Zen story about depression causing a satori, but that’s exactly what happened to me.

Before I talk more about my little awakening, let’s shift gears for a moment and talk about self love.

Apparently, Self Love is Important

I’m sure you’ve heard that you should love yourself.

You can only love others as much as you love yourself…

Yada yada blah blah blah.

It’s not that I don’t agree that self love is important.

Unfortunately, the “love yourself” advice is just an empty platitude for most depressives.

We know that we should love ourselves more, but the advice doesn’t seem to work for us.

We’ve tried our hardest. We’ve tried to love ourselves, to change our dark thoughts, to use positive self talk.

But it doesn’t work.

Why You Suck at Self Love

I now know why self love is so hard for us depressives to learn. (The same is probably true for non-depressives as well.)

Self love is hard because you can’t think your way out of thinking.

And that’s exactly what we try to do. We try to think our way out of negative thought patterns.

It doesn’t work.

In fact, it will never work as long as there’s a jerk living inside your head.

The Voice In Your Head is an Asshole

Dan Harris, the ABC news anchor who fell in love with meditation, said that his first choice for the title of his book was:

The Voice In My Head is an Asshole

Unfortunately, the publisher rejected that title and chose a different one:

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

I prefer the original title. The book is still worth reading though.

For those battling depression and anxiety, I think Dan’s original description is much better than both  Churchill’s “black dog” and my “dark demon”.

And that’s because it’s such an accurate description. The voice in my head really IS an asshole.

Maybe you can relate?

The Space Between Your Thoughts

After you practice meditation for a while, you start to acquire a skill that Victor Frankl calls “the space” between thought and reaction.

(If you haven’t read Victor Frank’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, then put it on your book list!)

Intellectually, you may know that you have a voice in your head. But the space that Frankl is talking about is not intellectual.

It’s something you feel —  a palpable separation between thinker and observer.

The thinker is the voice in your head. Often, this voice can be an asshole.

The observer is…well that’s a metaphysical discussion for another time.

The point is that when you are able to easily shift into observer mode, you develop the amazing ability to CHOOSE how you react to your thoughts — and not just during meditation, but all day long.

If you can’t yet easily shift into observer mode, don’t worry.

The technique that I discovered during my epiphany will help. It requires very little meditative skill to use.

(Hopefully, it will also encourage you to pursue some form of meditation, even if sitting meditation isn’t for you.)

Don’t Talk To My Wife Like That!

Before I show you the technique, let me quickly tell you how I discovered it.

My wife is not depressive, but like most people, she sometimes beats herself up.

“God, I’m so stupid,” she might say out loud when she forgets to do something.

Over the years, I’ve developed a fun way to deal with her negative self talk.

If she says it out loud, I’ll cut in and say: “Don’t talk about my wife that way!”

It makes her smile, and reminds her to be kinder to herself.

You see, my wife knows that I am protective by nature. She doesn’t need protecting. She’ll punch you in the face faster than I will.

But if someone were to say, “God, your wife is so stupid!” I certainly wouldn’t keep quiet! I would give that asshole a piece of my mind!

The Zen Art of Yelling at Yourself

Can you guess my epiphany yet?

Recently, as I stepped in to defend my wife, it hit me like a Zen truck.

I suddenly realized that I was yelling at the asshole in her head.

Why couldn’t I do the same thing for the asshole in my head?

It’s hard to describe an epiphany in words, but that’s as close as I can get, at least for now.

Later, I came up with a simple technique, which I’ll describe in 3 steps.

• Step 1: Beat yourself up in your own mind (or out loud)
• Step 2: Notice that the voice in your head is being an asshole.
• Step 3: Yell at that asshole!

Step 1 is easy for depressives. We are masters of this.

Step 2 will be more difficult if you don’t practice meditation. The good news is that you don’t need a ton of meditative skill to make this technique work.

(If you want to improve your meditative skill, you can start right now with a free mini-course on qigong, or you can dive into a longer course called Battling Depression and Anxiety with Qigong.)

Step 3 is easy! Once you realize that the voice in your head is an asshole, it’s surprisingly easy to yell at him or her!

Life Without an Asshole in My Head

Thanks to this technique, plus years of meditation practice, I no longer have an asshole living in my head.

For years, he called me stupid and made me feel worthless. He told me that I was weak, that I was a failure.

But then, once I started yelling at him — he just packed up and moved out.

Good riddance. Life is much better without him.

And here’s the most important part of this article, the part that will hopefully give you some hope:

Without an asshole in my head, it’s much easier to love myself. 

What Self Love Is

For the first time in my adult life, I truly understand WHAT self love is.

I see now that self love is not something different. It’s not a special kind of love that I am lacking.

It’s just love.

Love is an energy, and when it flows, it flows in every direction, including inward.

It’s the same as the simple and pure puppy love that I get from my dog, Ziggy.

It’s the same as the loving kindness that I feel toward a random child on the street.

It turns out that the problem is not learning how to love yourself.

The real problem is the voice in your head.

Get rid of that asshole, and you’ll see how simple self love can be.

Speaking of which…if you found this post helpful, then please show me a little love by liking, sharing, or commenting!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How My Depression Led to a Zen Awakening about Self Love appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Almost as quickly as it had come in, the storm passed, just as I was getting ready to go to the emergency room.

It wasn’t a heart attack. I later learned that it was an anxiety attack (sometimes called a panic attack).

Apparently, the signs are similar, and many people end up in the emergency room due to anxiety attacks.

Who knew?

When Depression and Anxiety Overlap

I didn’t know, but I should have.

This was not my first experience with anxiety. It was my strongest episode, and it certainly got my attention, but it wasn’t my first rodeo.

“I guess I might have an anxiety disorder too,” I said to myself after I learned that it was an anxiety attack.

I had already been diagnosed with major depression years earlier, which is why I used the word “too.”

Along with my diagnosis of depression, I remember being told that anxiety and depression often go together, and that I might have an anxiety disorder on top of the depressive disorder.

But the word anxiety wasn’t in my diagnosis, so I didn’t pay attention to that part.

(Actually, I’m also guilty of ignoring the depression part. Or rather hiding it — from myself as well as others. Click here to read why I stopped hiding my depression.)

Understanding Anxiety

It’s amazing how long humans can ignore their problems. I ignored my anxiety until I couldn’t, until I had an anxiety attack so severe it knocked me on my ass.

I was lucky. My first anxiety attack didn’t send me to the hospital.

The symptoms are so close to a heart attack that many people just go to the ER. And rightly so. You don’t want to mess around with chest pain and palpitations.

Going to the hospital during an anxiety attack sounds to me like just about the worst thing ever. The 10th circle of hell.

The emergency room causes anxiety for a normal person. Now imagine going through all those tests while having the worst anxiety of your life.

Seriously, people who endure that are badasses. They have my respect.

What Anxiety Feels Like

What’s it like to have an anxiety attack, even without the hospital?

For me, it’s a storm that rolls in suddenly, bringing palpitations, sweating, and chest pain. I sometimes hyperventilate as well.

But the worst part is that I lose my ability to think clearly. It’s like I can no longer trust my brain. Something isn’t working right in there.

This is my own experience with anxiety. Other people have different experiences. Common symptoms include: fatigue, sweating, restlessness, shortness of breath, a feeling of impending doom, insomnia, nausea, poor concentration, sensation of an abnormal heartbeat, or trembling.

The Anxiety Epidemic

Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., and anxiety disorders affect over 18% of the population ages 18 and older (source).

Holy Epidemic, Batman! That’s over 40 million people!

Half of those people also suffer from some form of depression.

I’m one of the millions of Americans who suffer from both depression and anxiety.

Although anxiety isn’t a top killer like depression, it’s still a serious problem, and not just for people with anxiety.

Get this. Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. over $40 billion every year (source).

Unfortunately, the epidemic is getting worse, not better.

The Roots of Anxiety

When it comes to understanding the roots of anxiety, I believe I’m in an unique position.

Okay, maybe not unique.  I’m not the only person on the planet with this combination of qualifications. But I’m still a rare bird, dammit.

I’m qualified because:

1. I have years of personal experience battling anxiety.
2. I’ve been helping people battle anxiety for years.
3. I have years of training in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
4. I have decades of experience with both sitting and standing meditation (more on that later).

My experience with anxiety, meditation, and qi has led me to make the following conclusion about anxiety:

Anxiety is caused by a Monkey Mind that has run amok. When the Monkey Mind runs amok, the qi (or vital energy) also runs amok. And when the qi runs amok, the human nervous system also runs amok.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, the Monkey Mind is an ancient Zen term for describing the constant stream of internal dialogue in the human mind. The purpose of Zen, and indeed all forms of meditation, is to quiet the monkey mind.

In my tradition, the process of quieting the Monkey Mind is called Entering Zen, and it is the first phase of my 5-Phase Method.

Digging Up The Roots of Anxiety

If my statement about the roots of anxiety is true, then digging up the roots of the anxiety weeds should be simple, right?

To calm the nervous system, we need to calm the qi. And to calm the qi, we need to quiet the monkey mind.

Technically, it is simple. But simple ain’t always easy.

The solution to anxiety is meditation. Meditation gets to the roots of the problem — i.e. the Monkey Mind. In short, meditation gives you the ability to tame that annoying monkey in your head.

And when that happens, the qi flows smoothly, and your nervous system is not agitated.

But what is meditation?

In 21st century America, the word meditation means this:

Unfortunately, this definition is problematic for those of us with severe anxiety.

Moving Away from Sitting Meditation

Meditation is the solution — but not just the sitting kind.

Sitting meditation, done correctly and consistently, is a wonderful solution to anxiety. Perhaps even the ultimate solution. There’s even a growing body of science to back this up.

I recommend Dan Harris’ excellent book 10% Happier for a skeptic’s guide to sitting meditation. Harris is a news anchor who had an anxiety attack on live TV. He’s done some great work in spreading the information and interest about sitting meditation.

However, what Harris misses is that his own positive experience with sitting meditation is atypical for people with severe anxiety.

Asking someone with severe anxiety to start with sitting meditation is like asking a new violinist to start with the Brahms concerto.

(For those who don’t know, the Brahms violin concerto is really really really hard to play.)

This is a sink or swim approach. Some will swim, like Harris. But many will sink.

Many of you reading this know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve tried sitting meditation, and you failed. It was torture.

No, not just torture. It was impossible.

Meditation Without All That Sitting Around

So what’s the solution for us?

Meditation is still the solution — but not the sitting kind.

This kind:

This image shows a qigong exercise called “Separating Water” that just so happens to be excellent for anxiety.

It’s a snapshot, of course, but the exercise flows beautifully in coordination with the breathing.

For those of us with severe anxiety, the combination of flowing movement and gentle breathing gives us an anchor. It gives the Monkey Mind a banana to chew on.

It’s absolutely critical that the movement not induce anxiety. Unfortunately, the way qigong and tai chi are often taught is anxiety inducing rather than anxiety relieving.

This is because people in the qigong and tai chi world constantly obsess about the form.

The external form is the least important aspect of internal arts like qigong and tai chi, so why obsess?

I give my students permission to butcher the external form of qigong and tai chi. More than permission. Sometimes, when a particular student is trying too hard, and I can see that she is obsessing about the form, I insist that she do it badly.

“That was an A-. Now show me a C+.”

The truth is you don’t even need movement. Watch my free class on anxiety to see how you can reduce anxiety with meditative techniques that have no visible movement.

But gentle, flowing movement is beautiful, and it is liberating for many people with anxiety.

Even a tiny amount of movement, combined with breathing, can make a huge difference. Watch this free class to discover a super-simple qigong exercise that you can do in less than 1 minute.

Taming That Anxiety

I still experience anxiety, but I am grateful to have tools to manage it.

And these tools work amazingly well.

It’s almost like popping a pill for me. If I feel my anxiety rising, I pop a qigong or tai chi pill. And it works every time.

I’m planning to do a 10-day sitting meditation retreat. In this retreat, I’ll be asked to sit for 8-10 hours per day. And there’s no talking either.

There is no way I could conceive of doing this kind of retreat if not for qigong and tai chi. I would not make it through day 1. Heck, I wouldn’t make it through hour 1.

My point is that you work your way up to (down to?) sitting meditation rather than starting with it.

It took me 20 years to fall in love with sitting meditation. But during that time, I had a beautiful affair with qigong and tai chi. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How I Discovered (And Also Tamed) My Anxiety appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Four years ago, one of my tai chi students asked me a question that really made me think.

“I’ve got $1500 to spend on my health. Should I go to your retreat in Costa Rica, or sign up for a year of unlimited classes in your studio?”

(At the time, both options cost roughly the same amount.)

It’s tempting to assume that a full year of unlimited classes in my tai chi studio would be the more powerful healing option.

But I thought long and hard before I gave her my answer.

Three days later, I told her that the Costa Rica retreat was the more powerful option for healing.

Why?

Based on a decade of experience as a teacher and a healer, I wholeheartedly believe that a weeklong retreat in Costa Rica is more powerful medicine than a year’s worth of instruction in my studio.

In fact, I believe that a mindfulness retreat – whether it’s qigong, tai chi, meditation, or yoga – might just save your life.

I may have saved this woman’s life. Based on what I know about her health, I believe it’s entirely possible that the deep healing of the retreat in Costa Rica allowed her to avoid a potentially life-threatening health complication.

We’ll never know, of course. That’s the beauty of preventative medicine. We don’t get to see the terrible things that might have happened.

And that’s how you want it, right?

Here’s are 7 reasons why a mindfulness retreat might just save your life:

1. Stress is the Real Killer

Stress kills. Stress – whether it is mental, emotional, or physical — is the real cause of what ails us. Stress suppresses the immune system, blocks the flow of energy, and makes your life less enjoyable.

We all know that smoking is bad for us. But did you know that quitting smoking is LESS important than quitting stressing?

Yep. A 10 year long study concluded that emotional stress was more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than smoking.

Mindfulness retreats can bring you to a stress free state that isn’t possible anywhere else.

You simply cannot experience that kind of relaxation any other way – not with a vacation, not with weekly massage, and not even with daily tai chi classes.

Speaking of vacations…

2. Normal Vacations Are Anything But Relaxing

According to a Gallup poll, most Americans don’t feel rested after they return from vacation.

Vacation is stressful! Going on vacation involves packing (usually the night before), waking up ridiculously early to get to where you’re going, the stress of travel, sleep problems once you’re on vacation, and the stress of having to “do” things while on your vacation, not to mention working harder than usual just to get time off in the first place.

Mindfulness retreats are different. As soon as you arrive at the retreat center, you begin unraveling all the stress. This is something that just doesn’t happen with normal vacations.

The result is clear. Normal vacations leave you exhausted. Mindfulness retreats leave you well rested, recharged, and restored.

3. Your Diet is Killing You

Look, food matters.

My wife and I run into this problem all the time with our shared clients. (She’s an acupuncture physician, and we have shared hundreds of clients over the years.)

Getting people to eat well is difficult.

The best method for helping people eat better is as follows: serve them 3 delicious, organic, locally sourced, lovingly prepared meals every day for 7 days.

And 2 snacks.

And organic coffee.

Does eating well, not worrying about what’s for dinner, and not stressing about cooking contribute to healing and restoring while on retreat?

You bet it does.

Ask yourself this: when is the last time you ate 21 healthy meals in a row!

The answer, for most Americans, is never. Not ever.

No wonder a weeklong retreat can be so healing.

4. You Don’t Practice 5 Hours A Day

Ask yourself another question: when was the last time you practiced mindfulness for 5 hours a day?

On my retreats, we do 5 hours of qigong and tai chi per day – four in the morning, plus an hour in the evening.

There are lots of breaks, including snack time. But my point is the same – we do a lot of mindfulness.

And it’s not just the practice sessions. Walking along mountain trails lined with more flowers than a botanical garden, gazing over million-dollar vistas, and just sitting silently with friends while watching the fire dance – these are all forms of mindfulness practice.

A heavy dose of mindfulness changes how you see the world. It also changes your biochemistry, your neural activity, and your blood pressure.

5. Wifi Isn’t Making You Feel More Connected

There is no wifi at our retreat center.

Cell phone signals are notoriously weak. (There is a magic rock where you must stand to get a signal.)

Did I just lose your interest? Are you unable to even imagine a week without wifi? If so, then I hope you’ll keep reading because you really need this message.

There is Internet access at the retreat, but you have to hike to the office, and log on using an older computer with a Spanish keyboard.

You’d be amazed at how quickly your mindless internet usage decreases as a result of this.

The irony is that with less connectivity, you’ll feel more connected – to nature, to your classmates, to your own spirit. You probably haven’t felt so connected since you were a kid.

What are we doing with this precious thing called life if we’re not working on feeling more connected?

6. You Are Desperate To Reinvent Yourself

You know that voice in your head, the ceaseless chatter that constantly overthinks, makes useless comments, and generally worries about things that will never improve by worrying?

In the Zen tradition, we call that the Monkey Mind. Running around in your head is a crazed monkey.

When you quiet the Monkey Mind, you start to find your true self. This isn’t New Age mumbo jumbo. It’s neuroscience.

The voice in your head comes from your prefrontal cortex. And that, my friends, is only the tiniest part of your larger consciousness.

The deeper parts of your consciousness lay behind and beneath the monkey mind. Once you quiet this part of your brain, you suddenly have access to more powerful states of consciousness.

The result is a unique ability to reinvent yourself.

The happiest, most profound, most fulfilling moments of your life were done from this state. That’s where you’ve made your best decisions, when you’ve contributed the most to the world, and when you’ve been your highest self.

Want to create better lifestyles habits? Be more disciplined? Commit to wellness?

That stuff doesn’t happen from the monkey mind. Until you quiet the monkey mind sufficiently, you simply CANNOT access this part of your mind.

It’s there.  Deep in your mind. And the only way to dig down there is to go on a mindfulness retreat.

7. You Can Take Mindfulness Home With You

When you leave the retreat, you are not only refreshed and recharged — you bring new tools back home with you. Powerful tools to keep that mindfulness momentum going.

This is a game changer.

Even if you couldn’t take anything home with you, even if you just got the benefits of a weeklong mindfulness retreat — that might save your life.

But being able to take the arts home with you? That’s just priceless.

Here’s the thing about doing arts like qigong and tai chi on a retreat — you understand them on a different level. Even if you’ve been practicing for 20 years, you’ll learn something new on retreat.

I’m sure I speak for all retreat leaders when I say — you won’t learn it from me. You’ll learn it from the mountain, or the beach, or the sky. I’m just the there to facilitate your connection to something larger.

When I teach students at our retreat in Costa Rica, it’s not really me teaching. It’s the Cosmos.

My Retreat

I wrote this article about all mindfulness retreats because I strongly believe that they are powerful, and I want to help convince people to experience them.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some details about my own retreat.

Qigong and tai chi saved my life, and I am passionate about sharing these arts with the world. My retreat in Costa Rica is — by far — the best way for me to share these arts.

Our annual retreat in Costa Rica is a special event. My wife and I absolutely adore the retreat center, and we take good care of everyone who attends. (She also does acupuncture in the afternoons, for those who are interested.)

Meanwhile, the owners of this retreat are our good friends, and they will take such good care of you that you’ll be amazed. You haven’t been so well taken care of in ages.

Join us. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.

Click here for details galore about our retreat. Feel free to contact me with your questions. I am happy to help you make one of the best decisions of your life. Or, if you’d like to get a good feel for our retreat center, watch this amazing video:

The post 7 Ways a Mindfulness Retreat Might Save Your Life appeared first on Flowing Zen.