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Archive for the 'Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks' Category
Utamaro Kitagawa, Bijin Combing Her Hair, 1750-1806
The key to create a wind-down period before bedtime is to create some space between your busy day and sleep time. “You can’t just work until 9 at night, and then stick your head on the pillow and fall asleep,” Khalsa says. So turn off the television, computer, and radio. Cut down on or eliminate evening classes and exercise that leaves you feeling amped up.
When you come home, honor this transition by playing relaxing music, lighting candles, or putting on your favorite pajamas and set your Zen Alarm Clock. Think of the yoga precept of pratyahara: Withdraw your senses in order to turn inward.
Our 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 ‘Sweet Slumber’ by Nora Isaacs
Zen Alarm Clock for a Gentle Awakening with a Bowl Gong
Now & Zen’s Chime Timer
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Sleep Habits, Ukiyo-e, Well-being, Zen Timepiece by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
Combing Beauty by Goyou, 1920
For a relaxing bedtime beverage, Donald Yance, an Oregon-based clinical herbalist and certified nutritionist, suggests combining several herbs as follows: Passionflower and skullcap soothe agitated nervous systems and can help with mental chatter; oat seed strengthens the nervous system and helps people who are too tired to sleep; and chamomile provides a gently relaxing base.
relaxing bedtime beverage
1 chamomile tea bag
30 to 60 drops passionflower tincture
15 to 30 drops skullcap tincture
15 to 30 drops milky oat seed (Avena sativa) tincture
Pour boiling water over tea bag and let steep for five minutes. Remove tea bag, and add drops of tincture to tea. Stir in a touch of honey if desired. Sip and enjoy. Then set your Zen Alarm Clock and crawl into bed.
Zen Alarm Clock with Progressive Chime, set your clock as part of a relaxing bedtime routine
adapted from Body + Soul, May 2008 by Sarah Schmelling
Now & Zen’s – The Zen Timer Shop
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks
Utamaro Kitagawa, A Mother Dozing While Her Child Topples a Fish Bowl
A recent poll at the McGraw-Hill Companies posed this question to a few thousand employees: if there were more hours in the day, would you work, sleep, relax, socialize, or play? For the overwhelming majority, the answer was a no-brainer: sleep.
This is serious news: the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences reports that sleep-related fatigue costs U.S. businesses $150 billion annually in absenteeism, accidents, and lost productivity. Charles Czeisler, M.D., a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, has found that pulling an all-nighter or sleeping as little as four to five hours daily for a week produces the level of cognitive impairment experienced by a person who is legally drunk. Yet we glorify people who sacrifice sleep.
The U.S. is not the only sleep-deprived nation. As globalization takes its toll, cities in Spain are seeing the disappearance of the siesta due to long commutes that make a midday trip home impractical.
The problem even has Japan taking snoozing seriously. High school teachers in some areas are dimming the lights to give students a power nap. And in Bangkok, Thailand, last November, civil servants were encouraged to take naps at lunchtime in a room where cell phones are banned.
Sara Mednick, Ph.D., author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, says that napping is also catching on in New York City, where MetroNaps, with its space-age-style sleep pods, offers respite at its location in the Empire State Building, and Yelo, a sleep salon on West 57th Street, provides hexagonal sleeping pods.
Meanwhile, the Medical Journal of Australia sang the praises of the 10-minute power nap, and the Australian organization SIESTA (Society for the Introduction of Extra Sleeping Time in the Afternoon) quotes specialists from the Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health on the mental and physical benefits of the nap. They join Harvard and Columbia studies suggesting that napping helps the brain process information and reduces accidents at work and on the road. Just tell that to the boss when you doze off! Be sure to set your Zen Alarm Clock to waken you gradually and gently so you can get back to work refreshed and altert.
Chime Alarm Clock with Soothing Sounds
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.
adapted from Spirituality and Health Magazine, May 2007 by Swaha Devi
Zen Chime Clock with Japanese Maple Leaves in Honey Finish
Now & Zen’s Soothing Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Sleep Habits
still the mind
Despite the oft-heard instruction to “still the mind,” a meditation practice is not meant to help you get rid of all your thoughts—and you wouldn’t want it to. Your ability to think is, after all, one of the greatest gifts in life, something to truly cherish.
When you start a meditation practice, you are simply training yourself to become more aware of your thoughts and, more important, of how you relate to them—a process that can change the very landscape of your life.
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 Yoga Journal, ‘Presence of Mind’ by Janice Gates
Bamboo Zen Timers, a meditation timer
Now & Zen’s Chime Meditation Timer Shop
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Well-being, Yoga Timer, Zen Timers
Just Breathe
meditation, just breathe
Find a comfortable seated position and begin by observing your natural breath. Notice the texture, length, and rhythm as the breath flows in and out of your body. Feel the temperature of the air as it touches your nostrils. Take note, too, of pauses between breaths.
As thoughts arise, note them, but then allow them to float by like clouds, gently bringing your attention back to the breath. If you find it difficult to concentrate, try silently counting. For example, inhale 1, exhale 1, inhale 2, exhale 2, up to 10, and then repeat the cycle. After a while, you can stop counting and just focus on your natural breath.
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. 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 Yoga Journal, ‘Presence of Mind’ by Janice Gates
Zen Alarm Clock with Progressive Chime
Now & Zen’s Mindfulness Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen, Zen Timepiece by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
Mt Fuji Ukiyo-e by Hiroshige, woodblock print
Meditation is a holistic discipline by which the practitioner attempts to get beyond the reflexive, “thinking” mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. Meditation is a component of many religions, and has been practiced since antiquity. It is also practiced outside religious traditions.
Different meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual goals—from achievement of a higher state of consciousness, to greater focus, creativity or self-awareness, or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.
wikipedia.org
Our Zen Timepiece’s acoustic 6-inch brass bowl-gong clock is the world’s ultimate alarm clock, practice timer, and “mindfulness bell.”
Singing Bowl Meditation Timer and Alarm Clock
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.
Meditation Timer with Singing Bowl
Now & Zen’s Meditation Timer Store
1638 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Well-being, Zen Timers
Ukiyoe cup of Ginger Tea
Brew a Cup of Soothing Ginger Tea:
Step 1:
Remove the skin from an inch of fresh ginger using a paring knife, vegetable peeler, or spoon. Chop the ginger and measure a table spoon per cup of tea.
Step 2:
Add ginger to a saucepan with water, 8 oz. per cup. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes with chime clock in ‘Countdown mode’. Pour into a teapot.
Step 3:
Remove the strainer from the teapot and discard the ginger. Add honey if desired. Teas can be refrigerated for up to a day; warm to serve.
Chime clock timer for brewing Ginger Tea
Recipe from Body + Soul Magazine, April 2010
Now & Zen’s Chime Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Tea Ceremony, Zen Timers
Ryoanji Zen Garden, Kyoto, Japan
Steve McIntosh, Inventor of the Zen Clocks and Tehya (his wife) were most fortunate to visit the Ryoanji Zen Temple in Kyoto, Japan before their son, Peter McIntosh was born. It was a most peaceful and memorable trip. Below is a description of the ancient site:
Ryōan-ji is a Zen Temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. The garden consists of raked gravel and fifteen moss-covered boulders, which are placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle (other than from above) only fourteen of the boulders are visible at one time. It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view the fifteenth boulder.
Ryōan-ji
Japanese gardens are a living work of art in which the plants and trees are ever changing with the seasons. As they grow and mature, they are constantly sculpted to maintain and enhance the overall experience; hence, a Japanese garden is never the same and never really finished. The underlying structure of a Japanese garden is determined by the architecture; that is, the framework of enduring elements such as buildings, verandas and terraces, paths, tsukiyama (artificial hills), and stone compositions. Over time, it is only as good as the careful maintenance that it receives by those skilled in the art of training and pruning. Part of the art is to keep the garden almost static, like a painting.
Ryōan-ji Temple Bell
Now & Zen Headquarter Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
- Zen Timepiece Inspired by Ryōan-ji Temple Bell
The Zen Timepiece – a Gong Meditation Timer is the result of ten years of product evolution at Now & Zen, and we trust that you will find it a delight and a pleasure. The Zen Timepiece’s greatest beauty is in its sound.
Once you take a moment to adjust the strike force and position of the bowl/gong to your liking, your ears will be treated to the lovely tones of the bowl’s long-resonating ring. We recommend you set the clock so that the bowl is sounded in the lower end of its range, because this is where it sounds the sweetest.
Gong & Chimes
Now & Zen’s Gong and Chime Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Beauty, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Truth, Zen Gardens, zen monks, Zen Timepiece by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
Zen Clocks & Timers
Aaron Hoopes talks of meditation as being an avenue to touching the spiritual nature that exists within each of us.
“At its core, meditation is about touching the spiritual essence that exists within us all. Experiencing the joy of this essence has been called enlightenment, nirvana, or even rebirth, and reflects a deep understanding within us.
The spiritual essence is not something that we create through meditation. It is already there, deep within, behind all the barriers, patiently waiting for us to recognize it. One does not have to be religious or even interested in religion to find value in it.
Becoming more aware of your self and realizing your spiritual nature is something that transcends religion. Anyone who has explored meditation knows that it is simply a path that leads to a new, more expansive way of seeing the world around us.”
adapted from wikipedi.org
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.
Chime Meditation Timers
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.
Meditation Chime Timer by Now & Zen, Inc.
- Zen Alarm Clock, Ukiyo-e Hokusai Wave Dial Face
Now & Zen’s Chime Meditation Store
1638 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, Well-being, Zen Timers
Basket of Organic Fruit Ukiyo-e
The luxurious awakening provided by the Zen Alarm Clock is part of the growing preference for things natural—natural foods, natural fibers, and now, natural acoustic sounds. Like organic tomatoes in your salad, the organic sounds of the Zen Alarm Clock’s sweet acoustic chimes are truly a gourmet experience.
And those who like organic food may also appreciate how the Zen Clock can be used as an aesthetically sophisticated timer for practices such as yoga or meditation.
Organic Sound of the Zen Alarm Clock's Chime is Acoustic
Come by for a visit:
Now & Zen’s Natural Sounds Alarm Clock Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Beauty, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Progressive Awakening
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