Zen Please – Make Life Easier

Spirulina is the popular term that identifies Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima, two types of blue-green algae. They grow in tropical and subtropical lakes with a high level of pH and high levels of carbonate and bicarbonate. A. platensis is native of Asia, Africa and South America, while A. maxima grows in Central America. Spirulina’s benefits were already known by the Aztecs more than 500 years ago.

Composition and Properties

Spirulina contains the following nutrients and chemicals:

* High amount of proteins (between 55 and 77% by dry weight).
* Carbohydrates (among which rhamnose that helps the assimilation of glucose);  fiber.
* Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, inositol, A, D, alpha-tocopherol, K).
* Essential and non essential amino acids (among which methionine, cysteine and lysine).
* Essential fatty acids (such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA)).
* Minerals (Ca, K, P, Na, Mg, S, Cl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, Ni, Mo, Cr).
* Photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll-a, xanthophyll, beta-carotene.

Spirulina health benefits

* Nutritional, antianemic, and tonic
* Detoxifying, antioxidant, antiradical. antiviral
* Immune system booster (read my immune system boosters post for additional info on more natural immune system boosters)
* Hypolipemic; hepatoprotective
* Anti-inflammatory
* Vasodilative;  anticoagulant

Nutritional, antianemic and general tonic properties

Spirulina has proven to be particularly useful in low calorie diets, because of its high nutritional values combined with its low calories (390 Cal for each 100 g of dry product). It helps therefore in contributing with important nutrients during weight loss diets. The essential amino acid phenylalanine (3%) is able to reduce hunger and helps people while following low calorie diets as it determines a feeling of satiety. In such cases it is recommended to take the spirulina supplements around 30 minutes before the main meals. The presence of vitamin B12 is precious especially for vegans. Spirulina is also particularly useful as a supplement for persons involved in sport activities, supplying a good amount of ergogenic vitamins and minerals that help the energetic metabolism, complex amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine), essential and non essential amino acids, proteins, antioxidants, carnitine and creatine. Furthermore, the presence of iron, in biochelated form, and of the essential amino acids help the synthesis of hemoglobin and of red blood cells, preventing or reducing some anemic forms. The dietary supplements of spirulina are particularly indicated for pregnant women and during convalescence.

Fighting mental and physical stress (antioxidant and antiradical activity)

In case of stress, the system needs to assimilate a high quantity of antioxidants, with radical scavenger properties. In spirulina it is particularly useful the presence of phycocyanin, for which there are studies that show an antioxidant activity against peroxyl radicals. The antioxidant properties of spirulina are also due to chlorophyllin, derived from chlorophyl, to carotenes, to xanthophylls, to cysteine, to methionine, and to vitamins A and E, to zinc and manganese.

Immune system boosting and antiviral activities

Spirulina strengthens the immune system and has antiviral effects. The gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and linoleic acid (LA) activate the production of prostaglandins (PGE1) with immune system boosting, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilative properties. The presence of beta-glucans in spirulina might promote the stimulation of the immune system, thanks to an increase of lymphocytes and macrophages. Immune system boosting effects are also attributed to phycocyanins. Studies on animals have shown a relationship between the consumption of Spirulina platensis and the increase of the activity of macrophages and a higher production of nitric oxide (NO), with an hypothetical immunoprotective role. The nitric oxide (NO) acts as a physiological messenger between cells that helps stimulating the phagocytic activity of the cell. The consumption of aqueous extracts of Spirulina platensis in man activates the immune system in the 50% of the subjects, through an increase in the production of interferon-gamma and in the cytolytic activity of the natural killer cells (NK).

Indications

As we have seen, spirulina has many health benefits and, as a dietary supplement, is particularly indicated in the following cases:

* Sport activities (it integrates the nutritional values needed, preventing losses in the muscular mass).
* Psychic and physical stress, or highly stressful situations.
* Vegetarian and vegan diets.
* Low calorie diets and unbalanced diets.

Here is a list of the most important natural immune system boosters.

- Echinacea: According to several scientific studies, echinacea roots are effective in strengthening the immune system, and can decrease the chances of getting a cold by more than 50%. Furthermore, it can shorten the duration of a common cold by 1 or 2 days on average. Besides its antibacterial and antiviral properties, the extract of echinacea can also help the healing of wounds, i.e. treatment of abscesses, folliculitis and herpes.

- Kefir: Kefir is a milk, soya milk, or water based drink which is the result of the fermentation of a mixture of yeasts and bacteria. It originated in the Caucasus region and it’s been used for centuries, also because of its remarkable health benefits. Kefir balances the bacterial flora in the bowel, and this has a very important effect in the overall health, as it boosts the immune system of the whole body. For further information about kefir health benefits, please read my kefir benefits post.

- Royal Jelly: Has anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and antibiotic effects. Furthermore, it can stimulate and regenerate the nervous system.

- Astragalus Propinquus: Also known as huáng qí, it is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is mainly used to speed healing and to treat diabetes. It strengthens the immune system, it increases the production of interferon, and activates immune cells such as macrophages.

- Jiaogulan: Also known as Gynostemma, is another herb traditionally used in Chinese medicine. It has adaptogenic and antioxidant effects, and in some scientific studies it has been found to increase the activities of macrophages, T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, acting also as a tumor inhibitor. It also helps the body to cope with stress, and one of its reputed effects is that it increases longevity.

- Uncaria Tomentosa: Also known as Cat’s Claw, has recognized anti-inflammatory properties and increases the reactivity of lymphocytes, causing a better response to viral infection. Some substances contained in it seem to have antioxidant and anticancer effects, and it is also used to treat HIV infections.

- Eleutherococcus Senticosus: Also known as Siberian Ginseng, is an adaptogen, anticholesteremic, antioxidant and immune tonic. Taken regularly, it has been found to decrease cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels and inflammatory response, and it improves physical and cognitive performance.

Before taking any of these natural immune system boosters, please consult your local expert.

There comes a moment in all of our lives in which we end up asking ourselves what to do in life. It is a natural step, and the first thing you should do is not feeling in any way guilty for asking yourself such a question. Think of it as an opportunity for self discovery, and if you’re not happy with your current situation, think of it as an opportunity to change.

Everyone is born with a set of skills, you might feel inclined to do certain things rather than others, since the early stages of your existence. If you’re able to identify such skills, try to use them, try to fulfill them by applying them in your daily endeavors. If you have doubts about which direction you should give to your life, my suggestion is to try to find some time to relax and focus inwardly, choosing a quiet location in which you’re not likely to be disturbed. Then focus on yourself, identify the things that you like to do, and the ones that you don’t like to do. If you feel drawn to any particular path, try to dig into the reasons behind that, and if you’ve not followed that path yet, start thinking about what has stopped you from doing that. It could be a person, a commitment, an emotion, anything. It could be a combination of those.

If any emotion comes up during this process, let it come to the surface, feel it without judging it, accept it, and then try to identify which of your beliefs has played a role into the birth and the evolution/growth of that emotion. If you’re unhappy with such emotion, try to ask yourself whether you’d like to stick to the belief that created it or if you wanna get rid of it or at least modify that belief. It is a process that takes quite some time and energy, and you will need a few of those sessions of inward focusing before you’ll start noticing some results.

Life is a journey, they say. Try to live it listening to your heart, try to connect to your essence within. It is the only real way to find purpose, your own purpose about what to do in life.

The outbreak of swine flu is creating a lot of concern among the public, especially in the US and in other countries that seem to have been hit by the virus that originated in Mexico.

Here are some questions and answers about swine flu:

Are there drugs that can be used to treat people affected by swine flu?

Of four antiviral drugs that we have available, two are effective in treating swine flu.

People that have recently visited Mexico should take those drugs?

In case of symptoms that can be related to the virus, it is of crucial importance to see a physician as soon as possible, and follow his/her advice.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

Symptoms of swine flu include fever, running nose, sore throat, diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, nausea, vomiting.

People who are about to travel should take antiviral drugs as a preventive measure?

No, it is not a good idea. The virus is in fact capable of mutating quite rapidly and after some time it could develop a resistance towards those drugs. For this reason, it is important to use the drugs only when it is necessary and sticking to the correct and precise doses. Otherwise there’s a risk of decreasing the effectiveness of our weapons against this virus.

So it is not certain that these medicines will protect us from the pandemic?

Yes, yes, if the medicines are used correctly they are very effective. When thinking about those types of virus outbreaks we often tend to think about the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19. But then we didn’t even have the means to cure pneumonia, and in fact it was because of the complications of the flu, and not of the virus per se, that there were so many deaths. Today the risk that the pandemic transforms itself into a catastrophe is really remote.

But why there have been so many victims in Mexico then?

Every kind of flu, even the most common one that hits during the winter season, causes some victims. To be able to make a comparison between the mortality rate of normal flu and that of swine flu we would have to know the exact number of people that have been affected in Mexico, but so far we do not have that data at our disposal.

Besides the medicines that are effective after the contagion has already taken place, is there a preventive vaccine?

No, not yet, but the vaccination can be produced because the virus has already been isolated.

And what are we waiting for in order to produce it?

Producing a vaccine on a large scale takes quite some time and has high costs. We will start to produce it only if and when the swine flu will become really dangerous. At the moment we are not convinced that it is. In the US, in 1976, for only a few cases of swine flu there has been the immense endeavour of providing a vaccination to about 40 millions of persons, and with a vaccine that didn’t turn out to be really safe for the health.

Source: E. Giardi – Epidemiologist

Kefir benefits for our health are several, and its popularity has steadily increased in the past 10 years. Let’s see what are kefir’s benefits:

Kefir is great in balancing the bacterial flora residing in the intestine and acts as a probiotic, stimulating the intestine’s immune system with beneficial effects on the entire body’s immune system. Furthermore, kefiran, the water soluble polysaccharide present in kefir grains, contains substances that also have prebiotic effects.

Kefir enhances the immune system, this is due to the action of its bacteria and yeasts that colonize the intestine, but also because of our body’s reaction to the kefiran dissolved in kefir.

Kefiran inhibits the growth of tumor cells: this has been proven through a series of scientific tests involving feeding kefiran to a batch of laboratory rats. It is not clear yet what has caused the positive results and no tests have been conducted on humans so far. So this kefir benefit is still under investigation.

Kefir is easily digestible also by people affected by a lactose intolerance. A large portion of the population does not digest lactose, the main sugar contained in milk, properly. Kefir’s bacteria allow the enzymes needed to digest lactose to reach the bowel. During the fermentation process, nonetheless, the quantity of lactose present in kefir is reduced.

Kefir has antibiotic properties: The lactobacillus species present in kefir produce several substances that protect our system from yeasts and harmful bacteria, i.e. candida albicans.

Kefir seems to have a positive effect in reducing cholesterol levels. Some studies suggest that kefir consumption produces a moderate reduction in the levels of cholesterol, but such studies have not been confirmed yet and other studies suggest that the effect is instead very small.

Finally, one of the most uncommon of kefir benefits, the lactobacillus rhamnosus that can be contained in kefir, reduces the presence of streptococcus mutans, the main bacteria responsible for dental caries.

Why recycle? Here are some of the reasons why recycling is of critical importance in terms of saving the natural resources of our planet and reducing the amount of pollution:

Each ton of recycled paper allows to save:

14 tall trees
between 280 and 400 tonnes of water
440/660 lbs of oil equivalents

By collecting plastic materials and recycling them not only we can reduce the amount of heavy pollution and the volume of waste derived from plastic, but with recycled plastic there is 7 times less consumption of energy otherwise used to obtain the same objects by producing them by the classic chemical industrial processes.

Each ton of recycled glass allows to save:

450 lbs of oil equivalents
1,500 lbs of sand
330 lbs of soda
330 lbs of dolomite

Every 40 RECYCLED aluminum cans (approx. 1 kg of aluminum) enable a saving of:

4 grams of BAUXITE (one of the main minerals from which aluminum is obtained, that is becoming more and more scarce)
11 lbs of oil equivalents

Steel production using iron scrap, instead of the mineral, allows to save:

65% of energy
40% of water
86% less air pollution
76% less water pollution

So why recycle? From this data offered by the WWF it should be clear how crucial it is to recycle as much as possible in order to save on raw materials, natural resources that are becoming scarcer, and reduce the pollution of the environment. Every single object that we recycle is important, so recycle as much as you can!

There is absolutely no way I can possibly tell you about all the different types of meditation in just one article. My intention is to tell you about some of the general benefits of meditation the different types have in common and introduce you to a few popular forms of meditation.

Many people have never tried meditation and they truly do not know what they are missing. Our world is full of sounds, sights, and other distractions. We are bombarded with these things every day of our lives. Meditation allows you to escape from this for awhile. A chance to truly relax

Through meditation can you truly get to know yourself, organize your thoughts, relax, and even improve your health. That quiet time can give you time to hear your own soul.

It takes practice. We are so used to living in a rush, it’s actually difficult for us to learn to totally relax and release all of the pressure we place on ourselves.

The things that must be considered include the length of time you need to devote to meditation, where you will meditate, your posture and your eye position, and very important, how to control your breathing.

There are many guides and books on proper meditation techniques and I suggest you research this. This one article is much too short to cover all of the proper meditation techniques. Here, I will stay focused on the many types of meditation.

One type of meditation that is definitely designed to help you stay healthy is called HRM, or Heart Rhythm Meditation. This type of meditation is used to coordinate the rhythms of your heart, your breath, and your brainwaves. It is supposed to help you create harmony within yourself. HRM incorporates several types of meditation into one.

Others include what are generally referred to as upward and downward meditation. As an example, HRM above incorporates several types of downward meditation. Other types of downward meditation include reality meditation, active meditation, lover meditation, meditation centered on the heart, in-life meditation, inclusive meditation, and awakening meditation.

Upward forms of meditation include religious meditation, meditation centered on the mind, monastic meditation, denial meditation, dualistic meditation, trance meditation, observer meditation, passive meditation, and fantasy meditation.

Upward meditation is described as drawing energy upwards and consciousness out of the body. That is where the term out-of-body experience is used. Downward meditation invites energy down into the body through the body’s third eye, or heart.

There are types of meditation that utilize both upward and downward meditation, but for the purposes of this article we will focus on those that are more specific.

Reality meditation has an obvious definition. It is based on reality rather than fantasy or imagination, while fantasy meditation relies on your imagination. In fantasy meditation you may imagine you are in another place, have become another person, or maybe even another type of existent or non-existent being.

Another two types of meditation that are the exact opposites of each other are passive and active meditation. In passive meditation, the type most people assume is the right way, the person tries to be absolutely still and do nothing, emptying their mind as much as possible. They may seem or actually even become asleep. If this was the goal, it is a perfect way to achieve sleep.

Active meditation is goal-oriented. The person focuses his or her mind outwardly toward that goal. The person attempts to remain in a state of meditation sending out waves to achieve the goal, usually used to bring peace to an otherwise tumultuous situation.

Denial and dualistic meditation are approximately the same. Many times the person is using this form of meditation to overcome pain or suffering. They focus their mind and tell themselves that they are not really suffering or in pain. Belief can heal, therefore they strive to create a reality where the suffering and pain are gone or it has no effect on them.

Trance meditation is used to diminish sensory capacity. The person uses it to achieve an ultimate calmness. This usually entails rhythmic chanting, suggestions of deep sleep, or submission. Hypnosis is an example of the use of Trance meditation.

The opposite of trance meditation might be alertness meditation or awakening meditation. The person won’t become sleepy as in trance meditation, but their senses will be heightened. The rhythm of the chants are usually faster and the rhythm changes. In a group it may change to keep in harmony with the others in the group.

As I said earlier in the article, this is written just to introduce you to the fact that there are various forms of meditation and each has its own uses. You may want to study the different types and look for the one that is right for you before you start.

Meditation isn’t something you should just do because someone recommended you do it. It isn’t something you should start doing because someone wants you to go to meditation group sessions with him or her. What works for them may not work for you. You need to explore the different forms of meditation that are out there and find one that specifically helps you.

Zen gardens are very unique landscaping designs that are also known as “Japanese Rock Gardens.” . The word “Zen” means “dry” and the Japanese word for this type of garden is karesansui, meaning dry landscape. Consisting almost exclusively of stones and sand, this type of garden became very popular in Japan during the Shogun era (1185-1573AD), when feudal lords sought to landscape their estates in emulation of Buddhist temples. Monks frequently used such gardens to represent complex Universal truths in simple forms, and they frequently used them as places of meditation to calm and clear their minds.

Although American popular culture commonly refers to anything that looks Japanese or Eastern as a “Zen garden,” a true karesansui never contains water. Instead, it uses gravel and sand to symbolize water. Usually the gravel is white or near white in coloration, although this is not a hard-fast rule in landscaping. The reason that sand and gravel are used as water substitutes is because they can be intricately sculpted in ways that water cannot. Using only a rake, a landscaper can depict ripples, sea waves, rushing rivers, or still, quiet lakes. Every so often, the gardener will alter these patterns to reflect the Buddhism belief that the only thing constant in the Universe is change itself. Even those things that appear to be the most fixed of forms are slowly being altered by unseen forces all around us. In many Buddhist temples even to this day, monks remind themselves of this truth by raking the sand in their Zen gardens while they meditate, seeking a still mind in the perfection of linear form, and creative insight in curved patterns of motion that wrap harmoniously around alternating forms.

In most Zen gardens, rocks take the place of vegetation. This is another aspect of their design that makes these landscapes highly unique. Stones carefully placed in the sand create focal points in the endless fluidity that surrounds them, allowing an infinite variety of wave forms to accent their structure and positioning. Buddhist monks, long before Einstein, understood the relationship between matter and energy. The interplay of sand and stone directly reflects this relativistic relationship with a set of simple, natural symbols that are easy to work with and peaceful to behold. The relationship between light sand and dark stone is another important symbolic element, and directly correlates to the concepts of yin and yang. It must be emphasized that black is NOT a symbol of evil in the Eastern World, but instead represents the receptive elements of the mind. In a similar way, white has nothing at all to do with our moral concept of good. It symbolizes the mind’s ability to express itself through intentional action. The careful placement of darker stones in lighter sand (or vice versa) is therefore never intended to represent a clash of opposites. Instead, it is meant to represent the dual nature of the mind as it perceives reality through contemplation, then acts upon it through intention.

One famous Japanese text even goes so far as to state that the most important element of Zen gardening is the placement of stones. The text goes on to say that rocks should always be positioned where the most attractive side faces the viewer. It also states emphatically that there should be a greater number of horizontal stones (or “chasing stones” as they are called in Japan) than there are vertical stones (called “running stones” in the text). Again, this helps emphasize the rising force of intent coming up from the depths of the mind. Intent is mystery in Buddhism, but its effects are clearly evidenced by action.

The philosophical function of rocks is complimented on the practical level practical level by decoratively arranging them to represent objects that are commonly found in Nature. Ancient Japanese texts on the subject recommend creating such features as mountains, lakes, seashores, rivers, and cliffs out of rocks of varying sizes. The only vegetation typically found in an authentic Zen garden is moss, which is trained to grow over rocks in emulation of forests growing along river banks, lakeshores, and mountainsides covered in forests. Very small shrubs are used at times to frame a Zen garden, but only as a perimeter element, and seldom, if ever, as a central one.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/zen-garden-design-841812.html

About the Author:
Jeff Halper is passionate for Landscaping and wants to share infomation about that passion. At Exterior Worlds you can read more about Zan gardens or Landscape Design

Many people have used the fasting to lose weight method to achieve rapid and fast weight loss. It is a cheap and sure way to lose weight. If you eat too much you will gain weight and if fast you will definitely lose weight. By fasting you will be able to cut your intake of energy or calorie and resting your digestive system which is good because before you start the fasting to lose weight program, you have been eating everyday for the whole year and your digestive system has been working the whole year.

When you are fasting, your digestive system will be in resting mode and this will strengthen its mucosal lining. A healthy mucosal lining is important for the prevention of the leakage of incomplete digested proteins into the bloodstream. There are some scientists who suggest in order to restore our youthfulness and longevity, fasting is the way to do it, as fasting will speed up the destruction of decaying tissues and helps build new tissues.

How do you perform your fasting to lose weight plan? To perform your plan you should eat before you start fasting. Let’s say you want to start fasting at 7 am and break your fast at 12 pm. (For Muslims their fast breaking is at dusk). So you eat your regular meal before 7 am and do not eat anything during your fasting period. Then when it is time for you to break your fast, you also eat regular meal. Start your meal with sweet fruits such as dates. Do not over eat as this will defeat the purpose of your fasting to lose weight plan. Even when you are not fasting, you should not take excessive food. To have the effect of fasting to lose weight, you should start fasting at 7 am and break your fast at 7 pm. Follow this plan on alternate days and you will see your results in just 14 days.

For beginners to fasting to lose weight, this is not an easy plan. To achieve the maximum effect you will need to fast for 12 hours. This can be very tiring. The best method to start the fasting to lose weight plan is to go slow. Start by fasting for 4 hours (less if you find it too hard), then gradually increase it on your next session.

There are people who practice fasting on alternate days even though they have reached their weight loss goals. They are no longer fasting to lose weight but they are fasting for their well being. Besides being able to make you lose weight, fasting also helps to detoxify your body, helps to reduce your blood sugar level and helps the body to repair itself. Fasting also helps to control your desire.

However if you are not fit or healthy to perform this fasting to lose weight plan, it is not advisable for you to do it. Check with your physician about your condition or if you have any health related issues.

Fasting to lose weight is not starvation diet. Each one of us fast in our daily life. We fast during our sleep. It is just that we do not realize that we are fasting because we are sleeping and our mind is somewhere else. In a nutshell every human being is performing fasting to lose weight every single day.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/fasting-to-lose-weight–803752.html

About the Author:

Mohd Hizer Hasan is a health and weight loss enthusiast. For more articles about weight loss and more ideas for best diets go to loseweightin14days.blogspot.com

There is quite a bit of talk these days in the media about meditation and spiritual enlightenment. Some might even think it is a rather trendy thing to “be into,” yet it is doubtful that it will be one of those passing fads of the pop culture. The fact is that there are numerous methods of meditation, such as Zen meditation, that have been part of other cultures for generations, so it is not likely to be a passing craze, no matter how little Western culture truly understands it.

There are numerous meditation techniques that people who are interested and want to learn to meditate can choose from. While all forms of mediation have some commonalities, the techniques do differ based on what part of the world and what culture the particular practice is rooted in. Zen meditation has developed out of Zen Buddhism. It is also known as Zazen and incorporates various seated positions, special breathing techniques and chakras.

The discipline of Zen meditation is essentially focused on enabling the practitioner to live their daily lives in complete awareness of themselves and their surroundings. Through the practice of this meditation approach, people can escape from the “auto-pilot” existence that is so prevalent and which robs people of experiencing their lives fully.

When people fall into the trap of operating primarily on automatic pilot, they rarely notice all of the things that are happening around them; even within their own minds and hearts. This certainly can interfere with a person’s ability to be enlivened spiritually or to be on the path to spiritual development. Zen meditation can help to break the cycle of automatic living and help a person to engage more fully in their own life.

Through Zen meditations, people experience each moment of a day directly and with awareness and responsiveness. They consciously practice being aware of everything that they encounter and try to enliven their senses by paying attention to everything that they might hear, see, smell, feel and taste.

Another way of expressing this concept is by attempting to be completely and fully aware, while engaged in any activity, at any particular moment. Some people also call this, “living in the moment” or “living consciously.” The idea is to “become at one” with whatever they are currently engaged in doing.

Some examples of this would be: when eating, the practitioner is totally focused on the meal and their actions involved in eating; when they are engaged in a Zen mediation session, they stay concentrated on the reality of that moment and they do not allow their thoughts, their feelings, or their sensations to preoccupy or distract them; when they are engaged in work, they only work; when doing routine tasks such as brushing their teeth, they focus on that task and do not let their minds wander to think about other things.

While the Zen practitioner does not have to be engaged in meditation all day, every day, regular meditation practice helps to calm, center and focus the mind so that the person is able to focus and retain keen awareness. The Zen practice recognizes that all thoughts are a natural and beneficial function of the human mind and that thought should not be ignored, rejected or stopped. Instead, the practice allows wandering thoughts to be acknowledged then set to the side, keeping the mind from being carried away by anxieties, worries, fears and other discursive notions.

This method of meditation practice allows the person to enjoy a sense of liberation from the “pollution” of negative thoughts that can often cloud the mind and confuse thinking. Zen meditation helps to alleviate unnecessary suffering of the mind and allows the person to focus on truth, clarity and spiritual enlightenment.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/zen-meditation-allows-a-person-to-focus-on-truth-566168.html

About the Author:

Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on meditation. Find out more about the zen meditation, and leave a comment at the relaxation technique blog.