Gentler-Rousing Alarm Clocks

Get a Zen start to the day with this unique clock that has an acoustic chime to gradually ring you out of bed. Some testers found the chimes too subtle, so if you are a heavy sleeper this is not for you. The clock and chime sit in a small wooden box that can be easily stowed away. Also has battery backup. (now-zen.com)

Adapted from Good Housekeeping:  Read more: Gentle Alarm Clocks  – Good Housekeeping

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl St.

Boulder, CO  80302

peaceful wake up clock

stillness practice

By Sherri Silverman

The Power of Meditation
Meditation and other spiritual practices are basic to enhancing energy—they create balance and improve the quality of your home or office. In fact, the best thing you can do besides building according to Vastu to improve the supportiveness of  a space is to do spiritual practices (sadhana). Prayer, meditation, yoga, chanting, and pranayama all enliven a space.

Be consistent with the spiritual practices of whatever tradition you are drawn to. As the Sufi poet Rumi said, your true home is within and reachable by letting go and allowing the mind to go inward. When we feel at home within ourselves and within our own hearts, any building we live in will feel more serene and supportive. Meditation practices make us more perceptive of our environment, so that we intuitively know many of the changes to make. We become more in touch, literally and metaphorically. According to Vastu, the northeast or the center of the home is the best area for meditation rooms, spiritual altars, and yogic practices.

Vastu expert Sherri Silverman, PhD, is the founder of Transcendence Design. This article is adapted fromVastu: Transcenden-tal Home Design in Harmony with Nature by Sherri Silverman. © 2007 by Sherri Silverman. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith.

Meditation Tools and Timers with Bowl Gong

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl St.

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Natural Tuning- Bamboo Zen Clock by Now & Zen

Depending on which model you have, The Digital Zen Alarm Clock’s chime sounds either a “B” note or an “E” note, both of which have been naturally tuned according to the method developed by the ancient Greek master Pythagoras.  The Clock’s B or E notes, however, vibrate at different frequencies than their equivalent notes on a modern piano.

Modern natural tuning methods facilitate musical composition, but they compromise the enchanting and therapeutic quality—the purity—of the naturally occurring tones discovered by Pythagoras.  As a result of its natural tuning, the Digital Zen Alarm Clock’s tone reflects the vibrations of nature—the motion of the planets and the frequencies of life.

Natural Tuning- The Greek philosopher, sage and mathematician Pythagoras who flourished in the 6th century BC, circa 530 BC.

Gregorian chants

Studies indicate that certain sounds can actually stimulate our nervous systems and charge our brains. Gregorian chants, for example, have been shown to energize the brains of both the chanting monks as well as those who listen to the chants.  Because of its Pythagorean tuning, the Digital Zen Alarm Clock’s chime may produce a subtle charging effect on your mind.

Now & Zen - The Gradual Alarm Clock Store

Now & Zen – The Gradual Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Zen Koans

A monk saw a turtle in the garden of Daizui’s monastery and asked the teacher, “All beings cover their bones with flesh and skin. Why does this being cover its flesh and skin with bones?” Master Daizui took off one of his sandals and covered the turtle with it.

–from “Zen Koans” by Venerable Gyomay Kubose

zen meditation timers, gongs, and alarm clocks with chimes

Gong Alarm Clock with Real Acoustic Sound of a Singing Bowl

Our Zen Timepiece’s acoustic 6-inch brass bowl-gong clock is the world’s ultimate alarm clock, practice timer, and “mindfulness bell.”

Our Zen Timepiece’s acoustic 6-inch brass bowl-gong clock is the world’s ultimate alarm clock, practice timer, and “mindfulness bell.”  It fills your environment with beautifully complex tones whenever it strikes. In the morning, its exquisite sounds summon your consciousness into awakening with a series of subtle gongs that provide an elegant beginning to your day. Once you experience the Zen Timepiece’s progressive awakening, you’ll never want to wake up any other way. It also serves as the perfect meditation timer. Available in 5 wood styles, including bamboo (shown).

sharaku Toshusai, The actor Matsumoto Yonesaburo as Shinobu

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

gentle, soothing zen alarm clock

How would you feel about waking every day to a siren sounding in your bedroom? Or how about the crashing of cymbals right next to your head? This is the stuff of nightmares. Yet it is not that far removed from most folks’ actual morning experience.

The alarm clock is a form of violence. It jars us at the time when we are most vulnerable and helpless. Sometimes we respond in kind. My childhood friend, Guy, had a collection of guns. When his clanging alarm clock went off one morning, he threw it out the window and shot it with his rifle.

In many cultures, it is believed that the soul travels when we are asleep. Thus, it is very important that the sleeper is brought gently to wakefulness so that his or her soul might find its way back. For traditional peoples around the world, this is a matter of life and death.

Carved Wooden Thai Buddha with Singing Bowl

Of course, we know that people awaken suddenly every day and do not die. But to dismiss the experiences of innumerable other civilizations out of hand would be to miss the point. It is clear that something gets lost when we are awakened sharply and suddenly. It is our dream consciousness that loses its way back to the waking state.

zen alarm clock for a gentle awakening

It seems that only in the West do people have difficulty recalling their dreams. Only in the West is there such a thick wall between our dream consciousness and waking consciousness. Part of this is due to the way we, unlike other cultures, undervalue the importance of dream consciousness other than in the psychotherapeutic context. The other reason is that the alarm shocks us out of the dream state and into our rational minds. Our dreams simply don’t have a chance to catch up.

There are, of course, historical reasons for this morning dream death. There is a context to the alarm clock.When the steel and textile mills of the early Industrial Revolution drew in the farmers of the countryside, the clock was the ruler. Time was money. No longer was work driven by the seasons. Instead it was divided into measurable units of time, and the clock became the final arbiter. It was the factory whistle, not the rising of the sun, which moved the people to work. And the alarm clock replaced the rooster.

Our lives today are still dictated by the clock. We don’t even think about it. Train and plane schedules, television and movie programs, restaurant reservations, school, doctor and dentist appointments are all clock-driven.

But what about dream time—that delicate different reality? Dream consciousness is a shy consciousness. It won’t stand being shaken or abused. It simply vanishes.

Alarms are connected with danger and for good reason. They are used in all kinds of disaster situations: burglary, fire, air raid. In their small but significant way, alarm clocks may well have contributed their part to our culture of fear.

Waking Me Softly
There are, however, small islands of hope. Natural and gentle ways of awakening are available and gaining popularity. Intention is the most important ingredient in waking up peacefully. The less we want to get up, the more difficult it will be. But clanging sirens are not the answer. Below are some less alarming possibilities.

Chime Clocks: These quiet, old-fashioned clocks move the sleeper into wakefulness with a softer sound than an alarm buzzer.

Zen Clocks: Gentle Tibetan bell-like chimes strike once, then again 3-1/2 minutes later. The chimes become more frequent over 10 minutes, eventually striking every 5 seconds until you shut it off. They also come in a digital style and in a brass-bowl version with a series of subtle gongs.

soothing zen alarm clocks by Now & Zen, Inc.

Good Morning, Sunshine: Studies by the National Institutes of Health show that waking to light can help people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, certain forms of depression, and sleep disorders. This clock has a built-in light that fades in from zero to full intensity over selected time intervals.

Kids and Pets: For those of us fortunate to have young children or pets in the household, there is a ready-made wake-up service. The hugs of a toddler or nuzzling of a dog are preferable to electronic buzzing. Starting around age three, you might even enlist the child in the service of waking you. You can tell her to shake you gently or speak to you softly or even just to stand there looking at you. If you approach it as a game, the kids are in.

Morning Sounds: In the city or the country, the sounds of the morning world are those that you can anticipate and can help you to awaken softly. Consciously tune in to these. In the country, the birds are the first to welcome the day. And of course, if you live near a rooster, you have a built-in waker-upper. If you live in the city, the sounds of morning are legion—cars and buses rev up, neighbors slam doors, or someone upstairs starts the shower. Learn what these morning sounds are. Select those that are regular and expect them. These are the ones that can serve you daily.

Your Stereo: Most stereo systems can act as timers. Use the CD changer and pick a piece of music that is soothing. Picking a frantic percussion riff or heavy metal cut definitely defeats the purpose. Set the system for the time you want to wake up. Radios aren’t so great for this. We have no idea what’s going to be played. And waking to talk is disconcerting.

use your inner alarm clock

Your Inner Clock: Most of us are so conditioned to the clock that we don’t even need alarm clocks to wake up at a specific time. Here’s how to wean yourself from reliance on the clock.

• Tell yourself that you will wake up before the alarm. You can set your clock, but at bedtime, instruct yourself to wake up before it goes off.
• On a non-working day, try waking without an alarm at all. Just tell yourself that you are going to wake up at a certain time.
• Alternate days. Use an alarm clock every other day. Use your own inner alarm on the other day.
• Keep a record of how you feel on the alarm clock days vs. non-alarm clock days. Any connection between the alarm and getting up on the wrong or right side of the bed?
• Compare how well you remember your dreams on the alarm vs. no-alarm  days. Is there any difference at all?

Gentle Alarm Clocks, don't be alarmed!

Digital Zen Alarm Clock Testimonial

Customer Testimonial:

“My friends call me a Zen diva. I’ve made a lot of investments in calming equipment, and this is by far one of the best ones. The sound is so soothing, not overly loud, yet strong enough to wake you up. My house has children and pets and I try to avoid anything that’s going to cause chaos. Most loud alarm clocks are truly… alarming. This beautiful clock is exactly what my family needed. In Alaska we have dark throughout the entire day during the winter- so there’s no natural sunlight to wake up your system. An abrupt beeping is not necessarily a ‘bright and early make-you-feel-good’ sort of thing. This alarm is the complete opposite. You literally feel happier waking up to a peaceful chime. It starts your entire day off on the right foot.

I have birds in my bedroom that used to get spooked every morning by the sound of my other alarm clock. This clock allows them to wake up peacefully with me- not terrified. We also have a baby in the house and as anyone who has a child knows, even the slightest sound can startle the poor thing into a screaming cry. We quit using our old alarm clock but still needed something to wake us up in the morning. This was the perfect alternative.

calming alarm clock with chime

I personally like the walnut colored clock. It has more of a ‘cabin’ vibe to it. Looks very pretty in our darker colored interior décor. The lighted digital display is a plus for the naturally dark mornings in Alaska. It’s always nice to be able to conveniently check the time without turning on a bright light. It’s battery-efficient. I personally love that it works by batteries (no reprogramming after the power goes out).

All in all this clock is perfect for homes with children and pets. It’s also great for not-morning-people. The sound makes waking up a whole less stressful. The design is gorgeous. And the clock itself is an absolute darling addition to any home. I would rate this cute little thing 5 out of 5 stars.“

from loneakgypsy…

calming zen clocks come in bamboo, walnut, and maple

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

warm up with cider

Whether you’re celebrating the holidays with friends, trimming the tree with your family, or curling up on a cold night with your favorite translation of the Yoga Sutra, this charming cider is the perfect winter treat. The tart cranberry and zesty lemon infuse the sweet apple with layers of flavor. And the cinnamon and cloves will infuse your kitchen with nourishing, heartwarming aromas.

In a large pot, combine 4 cups of apple cider, 2 2⁄3 cups of cranberry juice, 3 tablespoons of packed brown sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 12 whole cloves, and a whole lemon, thinly sliced. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain, pour into 4 large mugs, and enjoy. (From allrecipes.com)

Health Benefits: According to ayurveda, cinnamon and cloves boost your digestion. Apples, cranberries, and lemons are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, which slow the aging process and keep your heart healthy. And their vitamin C content will keep your immune system strong all winter long.

Crystal Ketterhagen is the former Managing Editor of Yoga International.

tools for timing tea and yoga

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl St.

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Stretch the Stress Out

What it does:

Gets rid of shoulder and neck tension, helps lift the shoulder blades and collar bones up off the rib cage for better posture.

How to do it: Stand or sit with your spine tall. Inhale, then exhale deeply while making an “s” sound. As you inhale for a count of three, slowly lift your shoulders up toward your ears. Exhale with an “s” sound to a count of three as you roll your shoulders back, and finally lower them down as you inhale to a count of three. Repeat five times.

adapted from Body + Soul Magazine

Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga Timer.  It features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings your meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. Our Yoga Timer & Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation or yoga session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation in your life. Bring yourself back to balance.

Digital Yoga Timers with Gentle Chime

Now & Zen– The Yoga Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383