Insta-Zen, Mindful Moments, Zazen off of the cushion

[k1982]

All,

I use an app on my Android phone called "Randomly RemindME" which sends 3 random reminders throughout the day (you can choose what hours to activate it, how many reminders you want, and a bunch of other options) to take a "mindful moment" as I call it (or "INSTA-ZEN" as Jundo taught in his lesson). I am sure iPhones have something similar.

Zazen is great but as Jundo pointed out, we also need to take it off the cushion. This is a great way to be reminded to stay in the practice, and the randomness of the notifications assures you'll be reminded in the oddest of scenarios. Reminder goes off, take a minute or two to take a few meditative breaths, return to whatever you're doing.

It is also really helpful on those days when you schedule some zazen but life has other plans. I notice if I have done my mindful moments throughout the day and I miss a session I feel less discouraged.

Sorry for running long, but wanted to share this with people who might find it helpful!

Gassho,
Kyle
STLAH

[Bion]

For me, taking the practice off the cushion is less about being present in the moment, and more about ACTING sincere in the moment. “Practice off the cushion” is me managing stress, anger, hunger, annoying comments, it’s me sitting down to work when I don’t feel like it, it’s me choosing my words in an argument, me being able to navigate sadness, anxiety, laziness, procrastination etc with the same equanimity of zazen, with the same awareness of what THIS in this moments is and the same capacity of seeing into the nature of the present situation. So my morning sits set the tone for the rest of the day and start me off with a clear image of how I should aim to be and the lessons of that morning sit are never too far in the back of my mind.

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Jundo]

All sounds lovely to me.

Besides "being present in the moment" or "acting sincere in the moment," I also say to "let the moment be fully just this moment" ... even if that moment is not so pleasing ... welcoming and allowing what is happening then. All good ways to treat the moment.

Gassho, J

stlah

PS - We have the old Treeleaf App floating around here someplace. We might want to dig it up.

[k1982]

and more about ACTING sincere in the moment.

Indeed, and I agree with everything you said! However, there are those of us who can't sit in the morning, and often times struggle to act sincere in the moment -- and might need a little reminder to do so. That can be me sometimes...I'm a constant work in progress.

I also say to "let the moment be fully just this moment" ... even if that moment is not so pleasing ... welcoming and allowing what is happening then. All good ways to treat the moment.

This right here is my jam and the main reason I use the reminder. There have been countless times in the last 5+ years since I've been using it that it'll go off during a visit to the surgeon (vibrate), at the dentist, when my kids are driving me up a wall, when the old neck doesn't want to move, etc. Those are my weakest moments, and I often find myself resisting them, wanting them to be different than they are, not accepting them fully and "allowing what is happening,". I've noticed I need the reminder less and less as my practice deepens, but I'm far from never needing it!

Gassho,
Kyle
stlah

[paulashby]

Hard days often bring a cycle of hurt-anger-release-acceptance-peace.To welcome each in
their impermanence can keep us from getting stuck on the label of this was a Bad day. Yes,
it is much more of a challenge on a day with dental work.

Gassho, Paul sat lah

[Seiko]

All,

I use an app on my Android phone called "Randomly RemindME" which sends 3 random reminders throughout the day (you can choose what hours to activate it, how many reminders you want, and a bunch of other options) to take a "mindful moment" as I call it (or "INSTA-ZEN" as Jundo taught in his lesson). I am sure iPhones have something similar.

Zazen is great but as Jundo pointed out, we also need to take it off the cushion. This is a great way to be reminded to stay in the practice, and the randomness of the notifications assures you'll be reminded in the oddest of scenarios. Reminder goes off, take a minute or two to take a few meditative breaths, return to whatever you're doing.

It is also really helpful on those days when you schedule some zazen but life has other plans. I notice if I have done my mindful moments throughout the day and I miss a session I feel less discouraged.

Sorry for running long, but wanted to share this with people who might find it helpful!

Gassho,
Kyle
STLAH

Sure. A reminder is great when you need it. Whatever works for you. My cat reminds me to wake up each day.

Gasshō
Seiko
stlah

[Koriki]

For me, taking the practice off the cushion is less about being present in the moment, and more about ACTING sincere in the moment. “Practice off the cushion” is me managing stress, anger, hunger, annoying comments, it’s me sitting down to work when I don’t feel like it, it’s me choosing my words in an argument, me being able to navigate sadness, anxiety, laziness, procrastination etc with the same equanimity of zazen, with the same awareness of what THIS in this moments is and the same capacity of seeing into the nature of the present situation. So my morning sits set the tone for the rest of the day and start me off with a clear image of how I should aim to be and the lessons of that morning sit are never too far in the back of my mind.

Great point Bion. I do tend to focus on being present in the good or neutral moments, but during the harder moments is where that awareness really shines (for lack of a better way to say that).

Gassho,

Koriki (Mark)
s@

[Bion]

Great point Bion. I do tend to focus on being present in the good or neutral moments, but during the harder moments is where that awareness really shines (for lack of a better way to say that).

Gassho,

Koriki (Mark)
s@

[emoji1374][emoji3526]

Sat

[joshr]

In the spirit of InstaZen, for anybody else who wears an iWatch, the Breathe functionality (which is now subsumed under their app Mindfulness) is a nice, wearable, and tunable reminder to stop and be where you are periodically throughout the day.

Also, for anybody else who is lucky enough to work where they can hear quarter-hourly clock chimes (we have beautiful ones here at USNA), one can also adopt Plum Village's tradition of stopping and breathing mindfully anytime they hear a bell. The "Pavlov's Dog" jokes just make themselves, don't they?

Gassho,
Joshua

Sat this morning

[ZenKen]

In the spirit of InstaZen, for anybody else who wears an iWatch, the Breathe functionality (which is now subsumed under their app Mindfulness) is a nice, wearable, and tunable reminder to stop and be where you are periodically throughout the day.

Also, for anybody else who is lucky enough to work where they can hear quarter-hourly clock chimes (we have beautiful ones here at USNA), one can also adopt Plum Village's tradition of stopping and breathing mindfully anytime they hear a bell. The "Pavlov's Dog" jokes just make themselves, don't they?

Gassho,
Joshua

Sat this morning

Oh, I like this idea. I have a ticking clock in my office, but it makes a different type of tick on the hour - I just might use that as a reminder to take a breath and be grateful - no matter my workload at the time.

Thank you and gassho

ZenKen
satlah

[Rexsdad]

Thanks for sharing. I do also like the use the Breathe function on my Apple Watch. I smiled warmly as you shared about the chimes. I recently stayed in an AirBnB next to a large church that played chimes every 15 minutes and bells at the top of each hour. Every time I was in the house and heard those bells I would pause to sit for a time and just breathe.

Gassho,

John

Sat this morning