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Archive for the 'Bamboo Chime Clocks' Category
 This unique "Zen Clock" features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings the meditation session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. You don’t have to work for happiness. It’s already here to be experienced in every moment.
Use this practice to rediscover your natural connection with joy.
The more you practice invoking states of well-being, the more available they are. Use the following practice to teach your mind and body to experience joy in the moment. As you invite happiness into your life in this way, you will have more access to a joyful life.
1.Get comfortable and, if you wish, close your eyes. Become aware of your breath, and breathe slowly and deeply. Breathe in relaxation and a sense of ease. Let go of any tension as you exhale. Let the warmth of relaxation flow through your whole body, from your head all the way down to your feet.
2. Find your own way to the still, quiet center of your being, with your body relaxed, your emotions calm, your mind peaceful and spacious.
3. Think of a time when you experienced great joy and well-being, perhaps when you were in a beautiful place or with a good friend.
4. Recall your experience with as much detail as you can. If possible, bring an image of that moment to mind. What was happening? What was the environment like? Were you alone or with others? What sights or sounds can you remember?
5. Remember how the experience of well-being or joy felt in your body. Did your body feel light? Energetic? Expansive? What did joy feel like in your mind? Did your mind feel open? Present? Clear? Take a few moments to let your awareness feel the sensations in your body and the mood in your mind. Let them fully register as you breathe in this feeling of well-being. Relax into it with each exhalation.
6. Practice calling up this image and the feelings of well-being regularly each day for one week. At times, you may find you can simply invoke and sustain those feelings of well-being without having to re-create the specific memory.
Use this practice whenever you are feeling stuck and want to shift to a more uplifted state of mind, or simply want to open yourself to joy.
 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. Although meditation can be done in almost any context, practitioners usually employ a quiet, tranquil space, a meditation cushion or bench, and some kind of timing device to time the meditation session. Ideally, the more these accoutrements can be integrated the better. Thus, it is conducive to a satisfying meditation practice to have a timer or clock that is tranquil and beautiful. Using a kitchen timer or beeper watch is less than ideal. And it was with these considerations in mind that we designed our Zen Alarm Clock and practice timer.
This unique “Zen Clock” features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings the meditation session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. The Digital Zen Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation 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.
adapted from yogajournal.com
 It's exquisite sounds summon your consciousness out of your meditative state with a series of subtle gongs. Once you experience the Zen Timepiece's progressive tones, you'll never want to meditate any other way. Now & Zen – The Singing Bowl Meditation Timer & Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
orders@now-zen.com
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks
 The Zen Alarm Clock transforms mornings, awakening you gradually with a series of gentle acoustic chimes Once you use a Zen Clock nothing else will do Deep sleep can provide much needed rest after a difficult day, but a new study suggests it can also help decrease the emotional intensity of painful experiences.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that the more time spent in REM sleep, or the dream phase of sleep, may diminish the activity of stress-related chemicals in the brain.
“The dream stage of sleep, based on its unique neurochemical composition, provides us with a form of overnight therapy, a soothing balm that removes the sharp edges from the prior day’s emotional experiences,” said Matthew Walker, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley in a statement.
Their findings, the authors said, could help explain why people who have with post-traumatic disorder experience recurring nightmares. One of the hallmarks of the disorder is less time spent in REM sleep. As a result, the researchers believe they don’t experience the same emotional blunting brought on by adequate REM sleep. REM sleep normally makes up about 20 percent of normal sleep hours.
In the study, 35 healthy adults were split into two groups. Each group looked at 150 emotional images two different times, 12 hours apart, and an MRI measured brain activity.
Half of the participants stayed awake between each viewing, and the other half got a full night’s in between each viewing.
Those who slept had a less emotional reaction the second time they looked at the images, and the MRI showed less activity in the amygdala, the emotion-processing part of the brain.
Tests that measure brain activity while the participants slept indicated decreased activity of stress-related chemicals, which had a calming effect.
 Wake up with gradual, beautiful acoustic chimes. The Zen Alarm Clock transforms your mornings and gets you started right, with a progressive awakening “We know that during REM sleep there is a sharp decrease in levels of norepinephrine, a brain chemical associated with stress,” Walker said. “By reprocessing previous emotional experiences in this neuro-chemically safe environment of low norepinephrine during REM sleep, we wake up the next day, and those experiences have been softened in their emotional strength. We feel better about them, we feel we can cope.”
Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to. “The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure.
Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime. When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong. Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later. The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper. This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.
Now & Zen – The Soothing Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
orders@now-zen.com
 The Zen Alarm Clock transforms mornings, awakening you gradually with a series of gentle acoustic chimes Once you use a Zen Clock nothing else will do
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Dreams, sleep, Sleep Habits, wake up alarm clock, Well-being
 drink more tea for relaxation Did you know that drinking herbal tea is one of the best ways to nourish the body? Herbal teas provide hydration to the body along with a variety of antioxidants, antiviral and antimicrobial properties, minerals, and vitamins. They warm the body and relax in times of stress. They can aid in digestion and support the bodies systems. It has recently been found that Hibiscus tea for example can help lower blood pressure.
“The Zen Alarm Clock & Chime Timer’, uses soothing acoustic chimes that signal it’s time – gently and gradually.
Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime. When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong.
 Zen Timepiece with Singing Bowl Now & Zen’s Chime Timer and Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks
 Bedtime meditation No need to be mystified by meditation, says Steven Hartman, director of professional training at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. To ease into a practice, try this simple mantra-based technique. Set your Zen Timer with Bowl gong for five to 10 minutes right before bed.
1. Lying on your back, close your eyes and notice your breath.
2. As you inhale, focus on a soothing phrase, such as “I am safe and whole.” You can say it aloud or in your mind. When exhaling, silently repeat the mantra. The specific phrase isn’t that important, says Hartman; the mantra’s purpose is “to give your mind something simple to focus on.”
3. If your mind wanders, gently turn your attention back to your breath and back to the mantra.
Adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, April 2008
 Zen Timer for Meditation with Singing Bowl
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Sleep Habits, Well-being
 20th Century Japanese Woodblock prints via Ukiyoe Gallery “The Daily Show” or Letterman, looming work deadlines, your fussy child, the neighbor’s barking dog, or any other reason you haven’t been getting enough shut-eye. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night, yet surveys suggest that many of us are getting far less. A growing body of research shows the consequences of chronic poor sleep, including impaired memory, lowered immunity, weight gain, and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The effects of inadequate sleep on your energy levels are even clearer: You have trouble waking up and getting through your day without the crutch of caffeine. On a physical level, a sound night’s sleep is crucial to keeping your mitochondria in good working order. Without it, your levels of blood sugar and stress hormones rise, slowing your metabolism and draining you of energy.
The Fix
“Good sleep depends on good waking,” says Dr. Rubin Naiman, sleep and dream medicine specialist and the author of “Healing Night.” “Try to do things during the day that get you excited and make you feel passionate.” Staying engaged and alert while you’re awake makes you’re more likely to sleep hard and well at night. “Exposure to natural sunlight also helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle,” he says. In fact, a recent study in the journal “Sleep” found that the natural light provided by simply sitting near a window for 30 minutes can boost afternoon energy and decrease daytime sleepiness.
As bedtime nears, dim your lights to simulate dusk, which helps your body wind down naturally. Set your Zen Alarm Clock so that you can anticipate waking gently to soothing chimes. It’s also a good idea to limit stimulating activities (such as watching television) a few hours before bed. A hot bath infused with lavender oil and Epsom salts can also be profoundly relaxing. The lavender acts as a gentle sedative; the magnesium-rich salts relax tense muscles; and after a hot soak, your body temperature drops, encouraging sleepiness.
Still tired during the day? Your preschool teacher was on to something. Unless you suffer from insomnia, schedule a 10- to 15-minute afternoon rest, says Naiman. Don’t fret if you can’t nod off: What’s important is that you recognize and honor your body’s innate rhythms, which govern energy. Just a short period of rest, such as a meditation break during your lunch hour, can make a difference in your energy levels.
adapted from Body + Soul, September 2006
Waking up in the morning should be as pleasant as falling asleep at night. The Zen Alarm Clock’s gradual, gentle awakening is transformative.
 Chime Alarm Clocks for a Gentle, Progressive Awakening
Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to.
“The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure. Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime. When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong. Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later.
 Maple Dream Kanji Zen Alarm Clock, progressive chime alarm clock
Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Shop
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, intention
 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. Focusing your attention on the everyday gifts that nature gives can help you cultivate reverence for the earth.
Sit quietly as you take in a few deep inhalations and then let them out very slowly.
Allow the breath to return to normal; observe it as it slowly flows in and out.
Bring your awareness to the light in your heart, where the divine spirit resides.
With each inhalation, observe the light in the heart brighten.
On the exhalation, allow that light to flow out to the earth as love.
Allow the light to expand until it becomes the size of the heart… the whole body… and then let it fill the entire room.
As you inhale, the light brightens; on the exhalation, light flows to the world as love.
Allow the light to expand beyond the room and embrace each flower, tree, plant, and animal.
Let your love fill the streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans, until it merges with the very core of our Mother Earth.
Absorbing this love offering, she makes this healing energy available to all, soothing the entire world.
Now slowly and gently begin to bring your awareness back to your own heart.
From now on, with every heartbeat, light and love are sent out as a wish of peace for all.
Although meditation can be done in almost any context, practitioners usually employ a quiet, tranquil space, a meditation cushion or bench, and some kind of timing device to time the meditation session. Ideally, the more these accoutrements can be integrated the better. Thus, it is conducive to a satisfying meditation practice to have a timer or clock that is tranquil and beautiful. Using a kitchen timer or beeper watch is less than ideal. And it was with these considerations in mind that we designed our digital Zen Alarm Clock and practice timer. This unique “Zen Clock” features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings the meditation session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal.
adapted from yogajournal.com by By Nischala Joy Devi
Now & Zen – The Meditation Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
orders@now-zen.com
 The Digital Zen Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra.
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice
 reduce stress If checking your email has become as vital to your wake-up and bedtime routines as brushing your teeth, it’s time to unplug. “Starting and ending the day in stillness is essential to stress reduction, so it’s absolutely critical not to jump into email during either of those times,” says Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of “Your Soul’s Compass.”
In the morning and at night, turn off your computer (and TV) and pick up a book — or simply delight in the rare pleasure of doing nothing. A little nature therapy can also ease the stress of too much computer time. A stroll through a park or on a trail counteracts overstimulation and can also boost your mood and energy.
adapted from wholeliving.com, Dec. 2011
 soothing chime alarm clocks Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks
 Wake up with gradual, beautiful acoustic chimes. The Zen Alarm Clock transforms your mornings and gets you started right, with a progressive awakening Dreams are more than just the mini-dramas of your sleeping mind.
Dr. Edward O’Malley, who studies sleep disorders at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut, says dreaming helps us to process and even memorize information we have encountered throughout the day.
“Even though the situations may be bizarre, there’s a certain logic behind the dream,” he said.
Dreaming also helps to relieve stress and clear the cobwebs from our brains so that we wake up clear and alert.
According to O’Malley, dreams contain a surprising amount of very important content and meaning. He says we should pay close attention.
“While there are general archetype images in dreams like fire and water that mean generic things across the human species, there are very specific cues in your dreams that can give you information that can help you function in the daytime,” he said.
In fact, new research shows dreams help us to solve problems.
“If we have certain conflicts or problems that we may be trying to solve during the daytime,” said Dr. Eric Nofzinger of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, “these problems become reactivated in dreams at nighttime and may get played through.”
Nofzinger’s dream research uses pet scans — an imaging technique — to view the brain’s activity during dream sleep. Remarkably, he has found that the brain’s same emotion centers that are active during the day become active when we dream. Some researchers believe that while we are dreaming, our brains are still working through the emotional conflicts of the day. It is one of the reasons that doctors tell patients to make sure they get enough sleep.
Decoding Dreams
There have been famous examples of people who have dreamed up solutions to problems, said Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a Harvard professor and author of “Trauma and Dreams.”
For example, dreams helped Otto Loewi conceptualize an experiment on a frog heart that later won him the Nobel Prize for medicine and biology. Friedrich August Kekule sorted out the structure of chemistry’s benzene ring in his dreams.
 The Zen Alarm Clock's sweet acoustic chimes are truly a gourmet experience “People are going to dream whatever their background and qualifications, and it’s going to be major scientists who have the Nobel Prize-winning dreams,” she said.
She said that there were some steps people could take to focus their dreams in the right direction.
“The best steps are to write the problem down as a brief phrase of a sentence and have a pad and pen by the bed,” she said.
While you are falling asleep, Barrett said, think of the work that you have done so far in solving the problem and form an image to represent it.
“Artists say they like to set up a blank canvas at the other end of the room to suggest I’m looking for an image to paint,” she said.
Barrett suggested telling yourself you want to dream about the image as you are falling asleep.
“The last step, and this is really important, when you first wake up, stay still,” she said. “Don’t jump up and think about something else because recall for dreams is so fragile that you want to recapture it.”
Know What Is Bothering You
Barrett said that people could help determine the outcome of their anxiety dreams by trying to focus on finding a solution to what is troubling them.
“When you’re trying to solve this kind of open-ended problem, you don’t want to script the ending,” she said. “The whole point is to say I want a solution to X but you want to leave it open for your dreaming mind to come through with the solution.”
Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to. “The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure.
Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime. When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong. Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later. The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper. This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.
What makes this gentle awakening experience so exquisite is the sound of the natural acoustic chime, which has been tuned to produce the same tones as the tuning forks used by musical therapists. According to the product’s inventor, Steve McIntosh, “once you experience this way of being gradually awakened with beautiful acoustic tones, no other alarm clock will ever do.”
adapted from abcnews.go.com
 What makes this gentle awakening experience so exquisite is the sound of the natural acoustic chime
Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
orders@now-zen.com
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Dreams, sleep, Sleep Habits
 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. New research suggests that mindfulness meditation can help relieve pain and improve memory by regulating a brain wave known as the alpha rhythm, which “turns down the volume” on distractions.
In a small study, researchers found that those participants using meditation were better able to modulate the waves — when they were told where to direct their attention — after they finished an eight-week course, compared to a control group that did no meditation.
“Mindfulness meditation has been reported to enhance numerous mental abilities, including rapid memory recall,” study co-author Catherine Kerr, of the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Osher Research Center at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release provided by Massachusetts General. “Our discovery that mindfulness meditators more quickly adjusted the brain wave that screens out distraction could explain their superior ability to rapidly remember and incorporate new facts.”
The alpha rhythm plays a role in the cells that process senses like touch, sight and sound in the brain’s cortex. It helps the brain ignore distractions, helping a person to focus while many things are going on, the study authors said.
The findings “may explain reports that mindfulness meditation decreases pain perception,” Kerr added. “Enhanced ability to turn the alpha rhythm up or down could give practitioners’ greater ability to regulate pain sensation.”
The new research may also help explain how meditation might affect basic brain function, said study co-author Stephanie Jones, of the Martinos Center.
“Given what we know about how alpha waves arise from electrical currents in sensory cortical cells, these data suggest that mindfulness meditation practitioners can use the mind to enhance regulation of currents in targeted cortical cells. The implications extend far beyond meditation and give us clues about possible ways to help people better regulate a brain rhythm that is dysregulated in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and other conditions,” she said in the news release.
 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. The study was released online April 21 ahead of publication in the journalBrain Research Bulletin.
SOURCE: Massachusetts General Hospital, news release, April 21, 2011
 . The Zen Alarm Clock can effect your awareness in a variety of positive ways, all of which require your participation. Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga & Meditation 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.
 “Mindfulness” is the spiritual practice of being aware of your present moment. Now & Zen – The Meditation Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
orders@now-zen.com
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks
 meditation prayer Virtually every culture has a tradition of blessing food, cooking and eating mindfully, and giving thanks for the gift of nourishment, Alexander says.
Intention
To create a setting for nurturing and togetherness.
Materials
Festive table decorations, favorite foods, a candle.
Steps
1. Set a specific day and time for a weekly dinner. Every member of the family, even small children, should be in charge of contributing something — even if it’s just stirring the pot or setting the table. Focus your intention as you chop, mix, and blend.
2. Before eating, light the candle, then hold hands and acknowledge the gifts in your life. Create a special family blessing — recite a favorite short poem or say something like, “We thank mother earth, the sun, and rain for producing this food, the farmers for growing and harvesting it, and the cook for preparing it.”
3. Eat with mindfulness. Encourage silence as everyone savors the taste and texture of the food. Reflect on the journey from farm to table, and how lucky you are to be eating delicious, nourishing food.
adapted from wholeliving.com, Dec. 2011
 zen alarm clocks and meditation timers Now & Zen’s Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks
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