Meditation, Zen, Stoicism and Chi Kung
How and why;
Matt Wilson.
Why meditate at all?
All people have what Socrates termed internal dialogue. Sometimes the internal dialogue is left from comments, fears, past experiences and can be damaging to the individual. Silencing this kind of internal dialogue is very important.
Philosophy, religion, magic there are multiple ways of controlling these thoughts and all can be viewed as early form of self help.
Now there are myriads of books dvds etc
There are a few ways of accomplishing this from antiquity, self help is nothing new.
In Rinzai Zen koans are used. A koan is a question with no logical answer that a time component is added into the equation forcing the individual to concentrate so hard on the solution the internal dialogue becomes secondary. The by product of using all the conscious mind to concentrate on a problem, or not to follow thoughts at all is sufficient mind control to live.
Part of a masters creed in Zen, ”I will make my mind my friend.”
In Sufism(a part of Islam) there is Mulla Nasrudin. These are the same sort of unanswerable riddle provoking the same reaction.
Another way is to sit. Zen meditation is known as seiza or zazen.
It is most associated with Soto Zen.
It is also the essence of the Buddhas enlightenment, sitting.
In Zen it is referred to as sitting as meditation puts pressure on the individual, sitting is easy we all sit or do we?
This is the form of meditation that we are concerned with.
Sitting properly;
One sits on the ground with a cushion under the buttocks. This is to open all three diaphragms by having the knees lower than the hips. If you can be in the lotus or half lotus this is good, if not cross legged remembering knees lower than hips.
Feel the crown of the head being pulled up, and gently rotate clockwise from the hips feeling the head being pulled up by the crown.
The tongue is placed against the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth do not push into the teeth.
Eyes neither open or shut. Half lidded, this is to minimise blinking, while allowing one to be in life rather than shutting the eyes which is divorced from life.
This is the position.
Breathe, the best way to still your mind with breathing is to spend longer on the exhale than the inhale. Four seconds in six seconds out. The body hates CO2 as much as if not more than it loves oxygen. This way of breathing slows the minds dialogue as it focuses on restricted controlled breathing. The inward breathing and outward breathing focuses on Tan Tien/ Hara, abdominal diaphragm. bee line multifidous there are a lot of names for this region below the belly button. This is the centre of all energy production and control in Eastern Mystical traditions.
Concentration on the correct breathing slows the mind easily during early stages of meditation/seisa.
It is called seisa as the term meditation can stress the individual. seisa, literally sitting, does not have the same result.
Once settled in the position and the breathing is natural, what to do with the mind?
Imagine the mind as the surface of a lake with no wind or ripples but calm and mirror like. Ideas will surface like bubbles, do not follow them but let them burst on the surface of the lake and disappear. The mind will try and follow the thoughts the object is to still the desire.
Having some sort of timing device will assist in knowing when to stop.
Although I love sitting the Buddhist scriptures are very hard for me to perceive as useful in modern society.
So I use Zen sitting in conjunction with Stoic philosophy.
Why?
The Stoics are a school of philosophy from ancient Greece that reached their zenith in Roman times. There are a great many of writers covering human emotions, desires, etc.
A psychiatrist I questioned concerning the Stoic philosophical school described them as the cornerstone of western civilization.
Chi Kung
Why Chi Kung?
Breathing is the most necessary element for most life. Air is needed on a minute by minute basis throughout most of our lives.
In a study Hyper ventilating and holding the breath was shown to influence growth hormone levels(Quoted in Essentials of strength training and conditioning Thomas R. Baechle editor Study quoted from International journal of sports Medicine 7.311-315 Djarova.T,Iklov.A)
The breathing that exemplifies this technique is from yoga.
The bellows;
Sit in a half lotus or any position ina chair so long as the knees are below the hips.
This activates the lower diaphragms.
The ass and crutch are clenched to prevent the release of prana(Prana is air, air escapes form the ass are not popular in group exercises).
Air is forced out from the abdomen, Air will rush back in this is why the exercise is called the bellows.
an in and out breath is one.
Twenty breaths and hold the breath for as long as comfortable and repeat.
Three complete rounds is good for a beginner.
To increase breathe for more repetitions and do more complete rounds.
More exercises including illustrated Chi-kung will be available soon.
Further to this during the freedom of information acts first release documents by CIA(something I am always interested in), a scientist was tasked with briefing journalists on chemical interrogation, and other uses of drugs.
at the end of the Q and A session the scientist was asked if this was the past what are you now working on?
That the mind and body is controlled by hormones and secretions produced by the organs and glands. the scientist replied.
What is the purpose of chi kung and yoga and breathing?
To stimulate organs by stretching and breathing simultaneously.
Stoicism; The way I use Stoicism with the others is simple.
The Buddha just sat, and became enlightened. The texts all came later.
I have always found Buddhist scriptures very hard to read, so i just sat.
Sometimes lacking diplomatic skills I read that both Bill Clinton and Tony Blair swore by Marcus Aurelius I decided to read
his meditations.
The Book I find most applicable to modern life is Epictetus the Discourses translated by Robert Dobbin.
How do we put them all together?
Breathing exercises and meditation can be done together.
Breathing is good for focusing the mind, complex breathing exercises mean most of your thought is focusing on the task
which is a good place to begin sitting.
After lending a trainee a book the trainee asked how it was best to read?
I replied look for something that takes your fancy or open it at random pages.
Trainee said, is that cheating?
No as these are collected papers of these philosophers.
The best time is at bed time.
The other philosophers
Sun Tzu – The Art of War.
Miyamoto Musashi – The Book of Five Rings
Bruce Lee – Bruce Lee was a student of philosophy and has useful insights into fluid situations training and everything.
There are many other philosophers, whatever gets you through your day in the best way.
Remember one Mystic spent twenty seven years meditating and said,” Don’t worry be happy.”
and an old African proverb, “Walk quietly, and carry a big stick!”
then you should be ok.
Conducting group and personal training in Sydney
by Matt Wilson