feelin’ zen?

what is zen anyway? if i say that i live a zen life (which i don’t, but i try), what does that mean?

for me, without any official or historical definition  right in front of me, zen is all about peace, simplicity, and contemplation. of course, i think of the zen buddhists, sitting quietly, legs-crossed, under a tree. i think of zen masters quietly mentoring & teaching apprentices. i think of men & women, the zen masters of today, taking young people under their wings, helping others who are mixed-up about their journeys in life. i think of clean, white, organized, & simple homes. i think of nature, of greens and blues and natural things.

but, i can’t really put a finger on what zen is. or i cannot say it with words.

it is simplicity. it is living in the present moment. it is breathing deeply. it is a way of being. a way of living. yeah. that’s what it is… it is being aware. present. alive. conscious. and drawing on the peace that is available in every moment. it is being true to who you are.

so, i thought that the best way to kick off a month of simplicity was to slow down and get a little zen groove on. time to just be. focus. and remind ourselves that life is as simple (or as complicated) as we choose to make it. simplicity, living a life of zen, is a conscious choice… one that we make every single moment. and we can seek that zen feeling anytime, any place.

so, sit back. and take a deep breath. wherever you are, whatever time it is, look up at the sky for a moment. be here. right now. and in this moment, while you breathe, think that this moment in life is beautiful. you are whole. beautiful. loved. let peace swirl through you.

day 1. minimalist – having a zen moment by a swedish lake while my youth splashed about around me. though there was a lot going on, i still found a moment of quiet and peace.

day 2. mindful – after a successful weekend of camping with the youth and an emotional & powerful goodbye sunday at work, two of my teenage boys gave me this cute little seal, asking me to promise to take him with me whenever i fly anywhere. i promised. and i named him. buddy. it was such an important day for mindful reflection and awareness of all that i have experienced in sweden.

day 3. monochrome – walking all over stockholm will present many, many opportunities for fabulous photos. in this moment, my love & i were celebrating & feeling really good, and the music that this street band was playing expressed our emotions just perfectly.

day 4. unbusy – tuesday afternoon i took a moment to myself to just soak it all in…. because now, the crazy moving preparations have begun. it’s insanity from now until the end of july! i need to remember to make some space for simplicity in my life.

day 5. balance – love for yourself. love for others. love for nature. it’s simple really.

take it easy, my friends. and take some time to just be. peace & love.