Where is your Zen Zone? That is, what do you do, or what place do you go to that helps you relax, find peace and become accepting of what “is” in your life? Where do you go to bring balance to your life? I’m lucky, in that I have a place that works for me in today’s crazy world.
When I talk about a Zen Zone, I don’t really mean the full-on Buddhist Zen practice with meditation, aiming at enlightenment. I’m talking about finding a place of peace, contentment and balance in my life. A place that brings back some sanity to this mad world we live in these days.
If you go to the web and look up Zen, or Zen Zone, you find a number of descriptions, some of them not very Zen like. Many look distinctly as if they are coming from someone trying to make a buck, which isn’t particularly Zen. I did however, find a couple of definitions/comments that spoke to what I’m talking about:
- Put simply, Zen is an orientation toward life that generates a sense of peace, equanimity, acceptance, and contentment. To be Zen is to be committed to maintaining clarity and remaining grounded in the present moment, no matter how challenging it is to do so.
- “A space designed to be peaceful and calming. No matter what is happening outside this area, it allows me to have a small, predictable place in the world that was created specifically to comfort me.”
- Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? (OK, kidding on this one – these are the opening lines of the old TV show Cheers, but doesn’t it sound sort of Zen like? 😉 … )
Over the years, I’ve done meditation off and on. When I was working full time, I often took a short ten-minute break in the middle of the day to meditate and re-center myself. I think it helped some, and certainly provided some grounding and calming. I wouldn’t say it was anything to do with Zen, or a Zen Zone, just taking a few minutes to find some peace and balance.
And now? Where’s my Zen Zone? Where do I relax, find peace and “meditate”? It’s an easy answer for me – on my daily walks in the woods. With my knee issues, I don’t run anymore, but I love to walk. Most afternoons you can find me, along with our dog Carmen, in the nearby woods on a three or four mile escape. Sometimes I remain attentive to nature and my surroundings, but other times, the “Zen times”, I lose track of where I am and what I’m doing. Suddenly, I come out of it a quarter mile from home. Hello!? Where am I? Oh yea, I remember now. Be thou at peace.
It’s a wonderful trick when it happens, although it doesn’t happen all of the time. And when it doesn’t happen, it’s still time well spent – a wonderful hike and enjoying what nature has to offer: the trees, animals, plants and views; wildflowers and ferns; a small stream or two; and of course, watching Carmen enjoy the walk as much as I do.
In either case, I always feel better after my walk. My mind is clearer and less stressed. Maybe I’ve solved a problem or two, or at least gained some perspective. Running and then later, walking, have always worked as exercise for me – burning off calories and trying to stay in reasonable shape. But the mental benefits aren’t to be undersold. As I become older, I am much more appreciative of those mental aspects.
What about you? Have you found such a zone? Perhaps running or walking? Working in the garden? Maybe hunting or fishing? Quilting? Yoga? Doing active meditation? What works for you? Where do you lose yourself and gain some balance in your life?
Making our way in the world today DOES take everything we’ve got. Politics, online garbage, traffic, aggressive people, health concerns, and other personal issues all raise our stress levels. Finding a Zen Zone can help make a difference, even if only for a few minutes each day. Taking a break from all our worries and reclaiming some balance and peace in our lives – I can live with that. Maybe the Cheers theme song was on to something after all.
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. And, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” ~ Lao Tzu
Addendum:
- Zen is a school of Buddhism which emphasizes the practice of meditation as the key ingredient to awakening one’s inner nature, compassion and wisdom. The practice of meditation, as a means of attaining enlightenment
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Great blog, Max! I usually zone out (or zen out) in the kitchen. I find the intense prep work required for a complicated Asian dish (or meal) to be incredibly relaxing, especially in the new digs. In the past, I too have found peace in the woods, and for a very long time, whitewater canoeing and the concomitant communing with nature! Oh, yeah, and fishing!
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Almost everywhere! ;-).
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I really enjoyed this Max! I can relate to the peace of the woods. Thanks for sharing your gifted pen!
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I like this topic, Max. During our time at Woops, Transcendental Meditation (TM) was all the rage, even among some cadets – and I tried it (probably from a magazine article) and only put myself to sleep – much to the amusement of my roommates. End of that experiment. About 8 years ago, dug into mediation again, mainly learning through some iPhone Apps – and learned a lot about myself – much to my benefit. I’ve greatly reduced my annoyance and anger buttons – and take a calmer approach to the world and work travails. I also discovered, like you, that I had actually been doing a form of mediation all my life with my running, where I often focus on my breathing and where I get to think about things. And also discovered that my daily reading at night is also a way to not think about things bothering me. Never realized this. I still like to use the Calm and Waking Up Apps, but also do various breathing meditations multiple times daily without relying on electronic aids or voices. It has all been hugely beneficial to me. Oh, and when I run, I love to run trails wherever possible. In Switzerland I had awesome trails all around my house, and in Dallas, while not as many trails, I stay near greenbelts and creeks – and enjoy White Rock Lake near my house. I’m getting back up to 7 and 8 milers, working up to longer runs to include the 9.6 mile trail around the lake in a month or two.
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Dave – thanks for sharing. Good thoughts.
I also remember learning about meditation Firsty year, in, I think, philosophy class. I remember my chant at the time – “be though at peace, be though at ease; be though at peace, be though at ease …”
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I am reminded of Thoreau’s quote: ” I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” You are indeed lucky Max. Although I live in an urban environment, here in Seattle you are never far from nature. I am also fortunate that Ria and I have great walking trails near us. But not for zen like meditation. Primarily for exercise and yes, clearing the mind. Mainly however, I rely on my daily Tai-Chi to enter that Zen Zone.
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Well done sir. I’ve learned, as I’ve grown older, that we can all seek paths to get to where we are trying to go. There are many paths…
See you at the reunion?
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I wish I could walk in words that are beautiful like yours, Max! I’m afraid insects would eat me alive! Since moving to Kansas, chiggers have discovered me big time and they just zoomed for me no matter what I do! We have to get our yard sprayed in the summer and a time like this week when we went a week longer I’ve got three bites already just from working in the garden. But I would say the garden is my Zen zone. The hard work that shows results, the smell of the soil, the wind and the sun just take me away! I’m grateful to live in a cute little house with a lot of room for gardening!
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If you stay on “trails” here, you generally avoid them, although there’s still the chance of a tick. If you get off in the woods, which I do sometimes, you definitely can run into a patch of them. If I’m going in the woods, not on trail, I generally wear knee high socks and spray them w some deet derivative.
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