The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

Shavasanah is the pose that made me quit drinking. The stillness was deafening.

www.grateful4.org

Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful-for knowing that grace and patience go hand in hand with hard work and drive

Intention-use visualization to supplement inspiration like respiration

First-website call prep

Things-Greg and NGF

Morning Platitude from The GratiDude

The programming that we receive starting at an incredibly young age encourages constant thought and physical motion, activity and movement and always looking forward to the next task with anticipation, these are fundamental ways of life that you need to adopt and practice in our society.

I don’t recall seeing many images of adults being still or meditating or just being in quiet contemplation growing up. Ever.

I remember the first time that I saw somebody meditating and it scared the shit out of me. It was right around sixth grade and my brother and I were checking out a little cabin and changing room at the lake we used to go to as a family that was called “friends lake”. It was a private access to a little lake about 20 minutes outside of Ann Arbor and if you paid like 100 bucks for the summer, you could bring your family out there whenever you wanted and just hang out. There wasn’t much to it no facilities to speak of but a few pathways and a beautiful lake and a nice little floating raft out there that you could swim out to and hang out on we love going to friends lake and we love stopping for ice cream on the way home as well.

This particular evening we peaked into a changing room, and there was a man sitting cross legged and completely still not making any noise and it really startled both of us. We both froze in our tracks and didn’t want to move and we weren’t sure if we were disrupting him and at first we weren’t sure if he was even alive. We thought he might be dead because he wasn’t moving. I can only imagine what people have thought that have seen me meditate now that I realize only about 5% of our population meditates and that it must look quite alien to a lot of people as I’ve been known to meditate in parks and on benches and beaches throughout the world wherever I am in the morning.

Yes, practicing Zen meditation can be beneficial for both mental and physical health, offering potential improvements in stress reduction, focus, emotional well-being, and even sleep quality.

Here’s a more detailed look at the potential benefits:

Mental Health:

Stress Reduction: Zen meditation, like other forms of meditation, can help reduce stress and promote relaxation by focusing on the present moment and letting go of worries.

Improved Focus and Attention: Zen practice can enhance focus and attention span, leading to better concentration and cognitive function.

Emotional Regulation: Zen meditation can improve emotional well-being by promoting acceptance, compassion, and gratitude, leading to a greater sense of contentment and reduced negative emotions.

Increased Self-Awareness: Zen encourages self-reflection and introspection, leading to a better understanding of oneself and one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Anxiety and Depression Relief: Zen practice can provide tools to help cope with depression and anxiety issues.

Improved Sleep: Zen meditation can promote better sleep by reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

Physical Health:

Lowered Blood Pressure: Some studies suggest that Zen meditation can help lower blood pressure.

Boosted Immune System: Zen meditation can potentially boost the immune system by reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

Pain Management: Zen meditation can help lessen the perception of pain.

Healthy Aging: A 2022 case study suggests that long-term meditative practice supports healthy aging.