Harunobu Suzuki, A girl Collecting Chrysanthemums by a Stream

The courage to witness

Ancient contemplative practices have long understood the nature of mind as something that pushes away pain and clings to pleasure. But if you’re like most people, you probably didn’t begin yoga or meditation intent on acquiring tools to help relieve your suffering. Instead you’ve been waiting for the moment when you could balance on your head or sit without fidgeting on your meditation cushion. Then one day in a yoga class, you realize that you don’t hear your usual internal dialogue bemoaning your inherently stiff hamstrings or comparing your abilities to everyone else’s. Instead, you are aware of your breathing, and you begin to notice the subtle feelings within your body as you practice. You’ve been tuning into what’s happening as it is, in fact, happening. You have been practicing mindfulness.

Stay Present
These three simple tips can be practiced under everyday circumstances so that when you find yourself faced with intense situations, like grief, the skills may have already taken root.

Yoga

Smoothing the breath

The breath and the mind travel in tandem. When the breath gets agitated, the mind cannot settle. By bringing attention into the breath, the mind is naturally soothed. For five minutes a day, sit quietly and simply pay attention to the path of the breath in and out of the nose as you soften the tongue and release the jaw. Allow thoughts to come and go, but continuously bring your focus back to the breath.

Dropping in

The body reflects our physical, emotional, and mental states. For instance, joy spontaneously lightens the step and softens the face, whereas depression can cause the shoulders and chest to collapse down. At random moments when you think of it through the course of each day, just check in with your physical state. Make note of your physical feelings and sensations and the quality of your breath. Then consider what thought or circumstance might be contributing to that experience.

Being kind

When others offer you kindness, responding congenially comes easily. But when others act unhappy, angry, or distant, being kind proves more difficult. The easy path? Responding with an equally charged emotion, or simply leaving the person alone to suffer. When unpleasant situations with others arise, experiment with making no assumptions about why they behave as they do. Simply offer kind support—without the desire that your act of compassion will change the situation or benefit you.

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.

Bamboo Zen Clocks, progressive chime clock and timer

Now & Zen’s Meditation Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Shinsui Itō, Before a Mirror (1916) Ukiyo-e

People in need of a creative boost should take a long nap, according to new research highlighted by ScienCentral. The researchers found that naps increase people’s ability to solve problems creatively, but only if the nap includes REM, the deep sleep when dreams occur. REM sleep happens only after about an hour of sleeping, so a long nap is recommended. According to researcher Sara Mednick, “if you take a nap with REM sleep, you’re actually going to be boosting your ability to make these new associations in creative ways.” Mednick has tried to put her findings to good use by taking a nap at least three times each week.  A good way to peacefully end your nap is to use your Zen Alarm Clock with progressive chimes.

adapted from Utne.com by Bennett Gordon, September 2009

Zen Alarm Clock in Maple Finish with Maple Leaves Dial Face and Chime

Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Store

Set Your Gentle, Chime Alarm Clock -- The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Eisen Keisai, Woman Getting out of a Mosquito Net

It has happened to all of us: You sit up in bed after a doozy of a dream and wonder What did that mean? Mankind’s fascination with dreams has a long history. In fact, one of the world’s oldest surviving documents, an Egyptian papyrus, contains dream interpretations. Most ancient cultures believed dreams were communications from deities or departed souls. More recently, psychologists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung paved the way for using dream analysis when treating patients, believing dreams could shed light on the workings of the unconscious mind. Today, many medical and psychiatric professionals believe dreaming can help us move beyond depression and grief and even identify underlying health issues.

As long as you are sleeping, you are dreaming. That’s right, everyone dreams—even if you don’t remember your nightly adventures. “Most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which replenishes certain neurotransmitters,” writes Deirdre Barrett, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, in her book The Committee of Sleep (Crown, 2001). Since you enter the light sleep stage characterized by REM every 90 minutes, you’ll likely have four to five dreams a night, assuming you sleep for eight hours. “Interfering with REM, and thus dreaming, interferes with creativity, problem-solving capability, memory, and, in extreme situations, even immune function and body temperature,” says Barrett. You don’t have to remember your dreams to reap some of the benefits, but if you can recall them, your dreams could tell you a lot. “But stay away from dream dictionaries that would have you believe that one symbol means one thing,” Barrett warns. Instead, she recommends Our Dreaming Mind by Robert L. Van de Castle (Ballantine Books, 1995), which focuses on dream theory and learning to work with your dreams. If you really dive deeply into your dream life, the payoff is multifold. You can tap into more clarity and creativity, feel less depressed and stressed, and maybe even be able to predict disease.

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.

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine, August 2009

Dream Kanji Zen Alarm Clock with chime in Dark Oak Finish, a wellness tool for remembering dreams

Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Choki Eishosai, Sunrise at New Year

It’s hard to learn from your dreams if you can’t remember them. But even if you draw a blank every morning, don’t fret. Follow these steps, recommended by Deirdre Barrett, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, and Andrew Holecek, a dream workshop teacher at Colorado’s Shambhala Mountain Center, to enhance your dream recall.

• Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. The more you sleep, the more dreams you will have, increasing the likelihood you’ll remember one of them.
• Throughout the day and right before you fall asleep, remind yourself of your intention to remember your dreams.
• Keep a pen and paper by your bed. A dream journal can encourage recall and, at the very least, help you document any fragment you do remember upon waking.
• When you first wake up, don’t move. Lie quietly and reflect on any image that comes to mind. Sometimes a whole dream scenario will come back to you.
• Be mindful during the day, not just about dreams but about everything going on around you. The lucidity you cultivate in waking life will translate to your dream life.
• Set the Zen Alarm Clock to wake you every two hours throughout the night. When the chimming alarm sounds, write down as much as you can remember about the dream you were just having.

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’s Chime Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Zen Timepiece, an alarm clock to wake you from napping with Tibetan bowl/gong

koi

“I wish I could show you

When you are lonely

Or in darkness,

The astonishing light

Of your own being.”

-Hafiz

Honey Japanese Maple Leaves Zen Alarm Clock, calming alarm clock

Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

Meditation Tools by Now & Zen

As a result of cultural evolution, we’re becoming more discerning about the real nature of quality.  Quality thinking is concerned with the welfare of the greatest relevant whole — our whole selves, our whole environment, and our whole society.  Now & Zen products embody quality of thought through their use as tools that improve your life, in the esoteric principles they embody, and in their originality. Stillness of being is also an integral part of a natural lifestyle. The practices of prayer, meditation, and yoga all contribute to a stillness of being.  Now & Zen products serve as accoutrements to these practices; and they also help create a sense of stillness through the beauty of their designs.

Now & Zen’s company mission statement is as follows:

Now & Zen, Inc. seeks to manifest on the levels of matter, mind, and spirit.
These levels translate in the business world as fact, meaning, and value.
Now & Zen’s mission is divided accordingly:

Fact: Make money selling quality products.

Meaning: Create a national brand that stands
for quality of thought, and stillness of being.

Value: Provide products that remind people they live in
the presence of the sacred, however they may define it.

Now & Zen Headquarter Store - Boulder, CO

Boulder, Colorado

Please visit our website ( www.now-zen.com ) which gives further information on our products and mission. For a catalog of current Now & Zen products, please call us at: (800) 779-6383 or (303) 530-9028, or send us an e-mail.

Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Your body has a message for you...yoshitoshi taiso

Your body has a message for you. Are you listening?

Our bodies are innately wise and have much to teach us about restoring and preserving our health…if we are willing to listen. A symptom is more than an isolated event. It is a messenger from our body giving us a “heads up” that an underlying problem exists and needs attention. If we learn to pay attention and understand the message provided by these “teaching assistants” sent by our bodies, symptoms become opportunities for implementing changes.

Mind-Body Connection
Your body and mind are interconnected, and each impacts the other. When you hurt your foot, your body shares this information with your mind, and you feel pain. When you’re worried about something, there is a physical response in your body. When you’re excited and happy, your body has a different physiological response.

Some people get sweaty palms when they’re nervous. Some get a sharp pain in their shoulders and neck when they feel they carry “the weight of the world.” Some people get headaches when they haven’t eaten properly. Some breathe shallowly and quickly when they’re anxious about something. These are all examples of your body providing you with information that allows you to take appropriate action.

If your observer is alert and you notice the physical phenomena present in your body, you obtain valuable information that you can use to impact your health and wellness. A pain that you’re feeling may be the result of an external incident such as banging your shoulder or cutting your foot; however, if there was not such an event, a physical ailment or change in your body’s status could be caused by some internal condition. If you pay attention to your body and address early signs suggesting that something may be wrong, you may be able to prevent larger problems from developing. Addressing these larger, more serious problems may be more painful and costly, and may require more invasive interventions.

Our Zen Clock’s long-resonating Tibetan bell-like chime makes meditating a beautiful experience – its progressive chimes begin your day with grace. When the clock’s alarm is triggered, the acoustic chime bar is struck just once … 3-1/2 minutes later it strikes again … chime strikes become more frequent over 10 minutes … eventually striking every 5 seconds until shut off.

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine by Marc Levin, 8/2011

Zen Meditation Timers and Alarm Clocks with Chimes

Now & Zen – The Zen Meditation Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

teahouse

There was a monk who was a sincere and ascetic practitioner. He was scholarly and had great understanding. He lived in a monastery with eight hundred monks. The Buddha’s teachings went straight to his heart, engendering compassion, kindness, and humility. He never cared to sit on a high throne or be a leader of any kind. He always sat in the last row and took a small portion of what was left to eat. But one day, a patron came to the monastery with buckets of yogurt to offer the monks. The patron began serving yogurt to the monks in the first row, filling their large bowls. This monk enjoyed yogurt very much and grew concerned as he thought to himself, “He’s giving them so much yogurt, when he reaches my row, there may not be any left for me.” When the patron reached the last row, the monk could see that there was still plenty of yogurt in the bucket. The patron went to put a serving into the monk’s bowl, but this monk immediately turned his bowl upside down. The surprised patron asked, “What’s wrong?” The monk replied, “This greedy monk already had his yogurt when you were serving the front row. He doesn’t deserve any more.”

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine by Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, 3/2012

Zen Chime Alarm Clocks and Timers

Now & Zen’s Chime Timer and Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Meditation Timers and Chime Alarm Clocks

An accomplished meditator is capable of overcoming every obstacle in life. Developing this level of confidence requires an approach that goes beyond simply resting in a state of repose. It is not sufficient to learn a few techniques and practice meditation just to relax and quiet your mind. To sit calmly in your room, still your thoughts, and drift into a state of torpidity is not meditation. A cow may sit still and breathe quietly when its stomach is full, but can we call this meditation?Meditation is not just for relaxation; its primary purpose is to develop the capacity to respond skillfully and gracefully to life’s difficulties as well as its joys

Followers of the spiritual path must proceed in this way. Only then will we have the opportunity to experience the real essence and value of our human life. It is our chance to be reawakened, our precious opportunity to enjoy boundless energy and employ consummate skill for our own well-being and for the well-being of others.

The nature of the mind is unobstructed. Moment by moment, one thought is born, while another one dies. This energy is unceasing, and it springs from primordial wisdom. This energy is the essence of what we are. This essence manifests, but not in any solid or substantial way. We cannot imagine it or express it. It transcends imagination and expression.

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine by Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, 3/2012

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.

Singing Bowl Meditation Timers and Alarm Clocks

Now & Zen’s Singing Bowl Timer Store

Meditation Timer Shop In Boulder, Colorado

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383