This is my Zen…
What is your Zen?
On a recent trip to Nashville, after spontaneously looking up where Taylor Swift had been discovered, my wife and I stumbled upon The Bluebird Cafe. We realized our hotel was only a couple of miles away, so we booked an Uber, and away we went. Being 4:30 pm in the afternoon, we thought we could pop in for a drink and take a couple of pictures. We were wrong…
Upon arriving, we saw a line formed to get into the joint and realized that it was more a music venue than a bar. The excited patrons in line explained to us that the first performance was at 6 pm and we should stick around and try to get standby tickets. After an hour in the blazing Tennessee summer heat, we got in (which we were informed afterward was incredibly lucky) and were treated to an amazing acoustic performance by three talented singer/songwriters. They each took turns explaining how they came to write a particular song, then performed it. During each musician’s turn, they entered that special place in the mind where mystical forces generate the miracle of music. It’s an emotional place I like to call “finding your Zen”. If you are ever in Nashville, I highly recommend trying to get in for a performance.
Even if we can’t play the guitar skillfully or sing beautifully, we all have the ability to find our Zen. There are many forms and everyone has their preferred mode. (My own personal flavor happens to be butchering acoustic guitar.) Gardening… Yoga… Reading… Dancing… I could go on and on… There’s a reason runners use the term “runner’s high”. There is an emotional place you reach when you are focused on the activity so intently that the rest of the world dissolves and fades into a blurred nothingness. At least for a little while. And yes… having sex should be on this list as well.
On the flip side… Finding your Zen can be addicting. And there are some Zen experiences that are more addicting than others. Alcohol… Overeating…Smoking… Gambling… And yes… sex should be on this list too!
Depending on your mental makeup, the draw of that emotional high can lead you to force it, even when you don’t have the time or schedule that allows you to experience it naturally. So… often “insert addiction here” is the shortcut people use to cope with that situation. I am guilty of this myself. Like millions around the globe, when I am stressed I take the shortcut with alcohol. Not a healthy solution of course…
There is a reason alcohol is heavily consumed at concerts or sporting events. Folks who have worked hard all week are trying to amplify the Zen effect within that 3 hours block of time to make up for what was missed across the workweek. Perhaps making time for healthy Zen every day is the key…
Here is a challenge for you if you struggle to integrate time to find healthy Zen in your busy life. Schedule concrete time onto your calendar to let the world blur away into nothingness. Even if that means other people might be put out by your scheduling adjustment. I am going to take my own advice on this and take my own challenge!
5 Steps:
- Put a variety of healthy Zen moments on your calendar, which can realistically fit into your life.
- Set your phone to pop up reminder notifications.
- Don’t ignore the notifications.
- Try… Perhaps fail… Try again until you find what works.
- Experience finding healthy Zen as often as you can and live your Zen life.
Our lives fly by us and sometimes the reality is we are just trying to keep up with it. But when it is continuous, without a break, we are not living our best Zen life. Hit the pause button and treat yourself to the miracle of finding the Zen that is always available to us, but sometimes we just have to make time for it. And if you are ever in Nashville, I highly recommend The Bluebird Cafe!
Feeling stressed and need some help managing anxiety right now? Check out our healthy wellness destination at livingmyzenlife.com!