RSS Feed Feed A A Brighter Brighter Wild Wild BUTTON BUTTON Cart Cart About About Me Me Work Work With With Me Me Blog Blog Online Online course course BUTTON BUTTON More More BUTTON BUTTON Back Back Shop Shop Guided Guided Meditations Meditations Freebies Freebies Chakra Chakra Book Book BUTTON BUTTON BUTTON BUTTON Cart Cart About About MeWork MeWork With With MeBlog MeBlog A A Brighter Brighter Wild Wild Online Online course course More More Shop Shop Guided Guided Meditations Meditations Freebies Freebies Chakra Chakra Book Book Finding Finding Zen Zen In In Everyday Everyday Life Life everyday everyday zen zen jpg jpg everyday everyday zen zen jpg jpg Hello Hello dear dear friends friends I I m m so so excited excited to to announce announce that that I I have have a a brand brand new new e e course course up up and and running running called called Adventures Adventures In In Simplicity Simplicity You You can can check check it it out out on on my my E E courses courses page page I I offer offer all all my my email email courses courses on on a a donation donation basis basis so so just just pay pay what what you you can can This This course course is is all all about about finding finding your your zen zen in in different different aspects aspects of of your your life life and and I I hope hope you you love love it it As As sort sort of of an an intro intro preview preview of of the the idea idea of of finding finding zen zen I I wanted wanted to to share share this this post post with with you you and and give give you you four four simple simple principles principles to to start start bringing bringing your your life life back back into into balance balance So So without without further further ado ado Take Take a a moment moment to to think think back back over over the the past past week week of of your your life life How How have have you you been been using using your your time time How How many many emails emails clogged clogged up up your your inbox inbox The The spaces spaces that that you you ve ve been been in in were were they they clean clean and and spacious spacious or or were were they they dirty dirty and and cluttered cluttered How How much much time time did did you you spend spend running running errands errands or or tidying tidying up up the the house house Did Did you you have have time time and and energy energy to to prepare prepare healthy healthy meals meals meditate meditate exercise exercise or or invest invest in in your your self self care care If If you you re re starting starting to to get get a a not not so so nice nice picture picture of of this this last last week week don don t t worry worry You You re re not not alone alone We We live live in in a a fast fast paced paced overburdened overburdened overworked overworked and and jam jam packed packed culture culture We We work work long long hours hours to to make make more more money money to to buy buy more more things things to to clutter clutter up up our our houses houses We We waste waste time time with with unnecessary unnecessary correspondence correspondence social social media media notifications notifications and and getting getting stuck stuck in in traffic traffic We We feel feel like like we we re re on on this this never never ending ending treadmill treadmill to to nowhere nowhere feeling feeling disconnected disconnected and and frazzled frazzled each each and and every every day day We We re re sleep sleep deprived deprived overweight overweight and and stressed stressed out out When When all all we we really really want want is is to to get get some some zen zen So So what what does does living living a a life life of of zen zen look look like like Traditionally Traditionally the the word word zen zen has has been been associated associated with with the the quiet quiet and and austere austere Buddhist Buddhist sect sect which which emphasizes emphasizes silent silent meditation meditation and and personal personal inquiry inquiry However However as as the the word word has has leached leached into into modern modern everyday everyday life life it it has has evolved evolved to to mean mean something something less less esoteric esoteric and and more more practical practical You You don don t t have have to to become become a a monk monk to to be be zen zen but but it it will will probably probably require require some some major major life life changes changes since since we we can can all all agree agree that that today today s s world world is is decidedly decidedly not not zen zen In In essence essence the the art art of of zen zen is is all all about about spaciousness spaciousness intention intention and and peace peace And And we we can can apply apply this this wisdom wisdom to to every every aspect aspect of of our our lives lives simplicity simplicity jpg jpg simplicity simplicity jpg jpg While While it it s s somewhat somewhat challenging challenging to to define define exactly exactly what what zen zen is is it it s s easy easy to to notice notice when when something something isn isn t t zen zen A A cluttered cluttered workspace workspace is is not not zen zen A A overpacked overpacked schedule schedule is is not not zen zen A A phone phone or or tablet tablet that that is is constantly constantly chirping chirping and and buzzing buzzing is is definitely definitely not not zen zen Chances Chances are are good good that that you you can can recognize recognize the the things things in in your your life life that that give give you you that that calm calm spacious spacious feeling feeling and and you you can can also also feel feel when when you you lose lose sight sight of of it it You You see see zen zen is is something something that that already already exists exists innately innately within within us us we we are are born born in in perfect perfect peace peace at at ease ease with with our our world world and and with with ourselves ourselves But But as as we we grow grow up up and and take take on on the the burdens burdens of of the the world world we we lose lose touch touch with with our our inner inner zen zen nature nature However However all all is is not not lost lost Don Don t t worry worry We We can can all all make make deliberate deliberate and and mindful mindful choices choices to to get get rid rid of of some some of of the the clutter clutter be be that that physical physical mental mental or or emotional emotional and and regain regain our our zen zen Just Just like like with with most most intentional intentional spiritually spiritually aligned aligned ways ways of of living living zen zen is is an an art art form form It It is is fluid fluid and and forgiving forgiving adaptable adaptable and and personalized personalized Your Your version version of of zen zen may may look look different different from from your your friends friends but but the the important important thing thing is is to to find find your your own own center center and and way way of of living living zen zen that that gives gives you you a a peaceful peaceful fulfilled fulfilled existence existence that that is is aligned aligned with with your your own own talents talents values values and and priorities priorities Here Here are are a a few few ideas ideas to to get get you you started started Try Try single single tasking tasking Before Before the the age age of of technology technology and and our our obsession obsession with with productivity productivity people people tended tended to to focus focus their their attention attention on on one one thing thing at at a a time time There There was was no no eating eating tweeting tweeting and and driving driving at at the the same same time time A A zen zen proverb proverb says says When When eating eating eat eat When When walking walking walk walk and and while while it it sounds sounds simplistic simplistic it it really really sums sums up up the the essence essence of of zen zen to to bring bring our our full full mindful mindful awareness awareness to to whatever whatever we we are are doing doing at at the the moment moment Even Even modern modern neuroscience neuroscience has has confirmed confirmed that that single single tasking tasking also also called called monotasking monotasking actually actually improves improves our our productivity productivity boosts boosts our our self self esteem esteem and and reduces reduces mental mental stress stress No No matter matter what what you you re re doing doing whether whether that that s s washing washing dishes dishes or or chatting chatting with with a a friend friend let let the the distractions distractions go go and and enjoy enjoy the the peace peace of of being being present present Clear Clear out out the the clutter clutter There There are are entire entire books books devoted devoted to to this this topic topic but but we we ll ll try try to to sum sum it it up up here here Clutter Clutter comes comes in in many many forms forms and and they they re re all all stressful stressful The The junk junk you you have have laying laying around around your your house house garage garage attic attic is is clutter clutter The The hundreds hundreds of of emails emails in in your your inbox inbox are are clutter clutter The The multiples multiples you you have have of of the the same same item item are are clutter clutter Even Even the the repetitive repetitive thoughts thoughts that that circle circle around around your your mind mind are are clutter clutter Zen Zen cannot cannot exist exist where where there there is is clutter clutter so so now now is is the the time time to to go go through through your your life life and and clean clean up up Toss Toss or or donate donate things things you you don don t t absolutely absolutely need need or or love love delete delete old old files files and and make make space space on on your your electronics electronics and and find find other other ways ways you you can can minimize minimize and and simplify simplify Pay Pay attention attention Most Most of of us us whiz whiz through through our our days days without without noticing noticing the the details details but but in in the the art art of of zen zen we we are are called called to to bring bring our our full full attention attention to to things things that that are are happening happening in in the the present present moment moment This This is is similar similar to to single single tasking tasking but but goes goes one one step step further further than than simply simply removing removing distractions distractions and and asks asks us us to to observe observe and and experience experience everything everything Being Being mindful mindful and and engaging engaging all all of of our our senses senses are are two two aspects aspects of of a a zen zen lifestyle lifestyle and and there there are are multitudes multitudes of of ways ways to to practice practice these these You You can can pay pay attention attention to to the the feel feel of of your your feet feet on on the the ground ground and and the the air air on on your your skin skin you you can can observe observe the the expressions expressions on on a a loved loved one one s s face face you you can can notice notice each each individual individual sound sound around around you you and and so so on on Do Do less less Yes Yes this this flies flies in in the the face face of of our our modern modern culture culture s s obsession obsession with with productivity productivity and and our our collective collective worship worship of of busy busy ness ness But But this this principle principle is is truly truly the the core core of of zen zen and and can can manifest manifest in in a a variety variety of of ways ways When When you you are are overscheduled overscheduled and and always always running running around around from from one one thing thing to to the the next next you you not not only only miss miss out out on on being being fully fully present present for for those those experiences experiences but but you you also also miss miss out out on on the the quiet quiet in in between between them them This This so so called called white white space space is is where where the the magic magic happens happens where where you you can can hear hear the the voice voice of of the the Universe Universe and and where where your your mind mind and and body body can can recharge recharge Try Try to to schedule schedule yourself yourself blocks blocks of of time time to to simply simply be be Rest Rest and and relax relax even even if if it it s s just just for for a a few few minutes minutes Let Let go go of of your your need need to to be be busy busy all all the the time time zen zen lifestyle lifestyle jpg jpg zen zen lifestyle lifestyle jpg jpg If If you you want want to to start start practicing practicing the the art art of of zen zen and and yes yes it it is is a a practice practice there there s s never never been been a a better better time time to to begin begin When When you you can can sweep sweep out out the the unneeded unneeded and and unnecessary unnecessary you you create create space space for for reflection reflection spiritual spiritual growth growth and and deliberation deliberation in in what what you you do do and and say say There There s s no no right right or or wrong wrong way way on on the the path path of of zen zen but but the the important important thing thing to to remember remember is is to to bring bring your your entire entire being being to to this this moment moment this this life life Clear Clear out out the the clutter clutter from from your your home home your your office office your your media media and and your your calendar calendar Learn Learn to to be be okay okay with with doing doing less less and and being being more more Experience Experience life life in in every every direction direction and and immerse immerse yourself yourself in in a a full full sensory sensory version version of of this this human human existence existence The The art art of of zen zen can can change change your your life life you you just just need need to to make make space space for for it it first first Want Want to to sign sign up up for for my my day day e e course course on on Simplicity Simplicity Head Head on on over over and and get get started started And And in in the the meantime meantime friends friends Hoping Hoping you you feel feel as as well well as as possible possible Salutations Salutations png png Salutations Salutations png png Blog Blog RSS RSS Mind Mind SpiritMelani SpiritMelani SchwederOctober SchwederOctober wellness wellness energy energy environment environment psychology psychology habits habits happiness happiness minimalism minimalism meditation meditation mindfulness mindfulness simplicity simplicity self self care care Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Reddit Reddit Tumblr Tumblr 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