Whether via apps such as Petit BamBou, Calm, Headspace, MindDay, or YouTube videos, you are faced with a plethora of guided meditations.
If you are new to meditation, it can be easy to get lost in this vast choice.
And if you already practice these meditations, you are probably wondering how the zazen meditation of zen buddhism is different. Which approach is the most effective? Can we practice both?
Fundamental differences
Zazen, zen meditation, is not a guided meditation. No one guides you at every moment of your meditation.
You focus your attention on your body posture and your breathing, in silence, throughout the session. No music or mental image visualization comes to distract you. You turn your gaze inward.
By letting yourself go fully into the posture, there comes a time when you hear without listening, when you see without looking. There is no longer an I
listening or looking at an external object. Simply a calm perception, without interpretation.
In a guided meditation, you must maintain active listening to the instructions, maintain the I
, the ego, if only at the beginning of the session.
Generally, in the second part of zazen, the person leading gives a kusen, traditional oral teaching. However, there is no need to listen with your mind to these words intended to support the bodily practice of zazen.
Zen meditation (zazen), unlike most guided meditations, pays particular attention to the right body posture and exact breathing.
While guided meditations often offer a measurable goal (stress reduction, mental clarity, easier relationships), zen is mushotoku
: without goal or spirit of profit. Although zen meditation produces beneficial effects, they are not the essence of the practice. To learn more, see the page The benefits of zen meditation (zazen).
A progressive approach
Zen meditation (zazen) can be quite abrupt at first glance. Even though many people do not hesitate to dive right into the practice, you may find it less intimidating to try meditation via apps and videos. Guided meditations can be a good introduction to meditation, whether at home, on public transport, or elsewhere.
As with a mountain, many paths lead to the top. Before doing more advanced hikes, you can train on short hiking trails. Even if master Kosen says that zazen is the direct path, the cable car.
Once they have tasted the unique flavor of zazen, rare are the people who return to guided meditations!
Where to start?
Image credits
- Photo by Dhruvil Soni on Unsplash