Mediative Snorkeling

I am, for lack of a better term, a meditation dropout. Oh, I’ve tried it all: the standard legs-crossed, deep-breathing variety (which made me stir-crazy after a few endless minutes); Pilates classes (where I managed to pull a muscle just learning to breathe properly); and t’ai chi instruction (which ended with gentle reprimands by my instructor that walking meditation was not a form of aerobic exercise). They all left me anxious and restless. I couldn’t let go and simply be present in the moment—a hallmark of my type-A personality. That all changed on a Caribbean vacation. There, I inadvertently learned even action-obsessed people like me can achieve satori.

Now, you may think that just being on a serene beach relaxing should help instill a meditative state. Not so for someone who every day had proudly recited the mantra “Go, go, go, faster, faster, faster.” But the morning I donned a snorkeling mask and submerged into the quiet, mystical world beneath the sea, my life began to change. I can still feel the magic of that first glimpse: a bright red starfish, a giant spotted ray gliding by like a bird in flight, and hundreds of silversides swimming in synchronized motion. It transported me to another realm.

Immersed in beauty, color, and silence, I was forced not to move too much or too suddenly, or the creatures around me would scatter. For the first time ever, I could be still. Minutes slipped away unnoticed, as the simple cadence of breathing in and breathing out became stronger and stronger. Lost in a dreamy world where parrot fish, barracuda, and even sea turtles swam by me as if I were invisible, I learned that submitting completely to silence brings an exhilarating, nerve-tingling rush.

Now, back in Pennsylvania, whenever I feel stressed, I lie down, set my Meditative Chime Timer by Now & Zen,  and visualize that moment when I place my face in the water and hear only the gentle waves breaking on the shore as I breathe deeply and glide ever so smoothly through warm, clear water filled with beauty. Breathing in and breathing out, I float and meditate while angelfish lead the way.

adapted from Natural Solutions, March 2007 by Vickit McIntyre

Meditation timers with chimes for a natural sounding end to your meditation

Now & Zen’s Chime Timer Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

mind-body therapies help your heart

Research shows that the stress-inflammation cycle is as detrimental to your heart as a plate full of the cheesiest fettuccine Alfredo. “Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, cause the arteries to constrict, which results in a rise in blood pressure and decrease in blood flow,” Moyad explains. Less blood flow means less oxygen circulating through the body to combat free radicals—unstable cells that can damage healthy tissues. “We know now that bad LDL cholesterol only becomes threatening when levels get so high that it binds with free radicals,” Moyad says. When this happens, LDL changes structure and gets absorbed by the arterial walls’ lining, resulting in plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis. Such tissue damage causes the immune system to go into overdrive, triggering inflammation. Reduce your risk with effective mind-body therapies like meditation, yoga, exercise or massage.

The Digital Zen Clock & Meditation Timer serves as a countdown and interval timer for yoga, meditation, bodywork, etc.; and it can also be set to chime on the hour as a tool for “mindfulness.”

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine, January 2010 by Kate Hanley

bamboo meditation timer and natural alarm clock with gentle chime

Now & Zen’s Clock and Meditation Timer Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Zen Timepiece with brass singing bowl

Singing bowls are unique because they are multiphonic instruments, producing multiple harmonic overtones at the same time.  The overtones are a result of using an alloy consisting of multiple metals, each producing its own overtone.

New bowls can also produce multiple harmonic overtones if they are high quality bronze, but many are made from a simpler alloy and produce only a principal tone and one harmonic overtone.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Zen Timepiece, a brass singing bowl clock and timer

Singing Bowl Alarm Clock

Now & Zen’s Singing Bowl Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

meditation sunrise

Big Sky Mind

After a while, turn your attention from the surface of the lake toward the sky itself. Then imagine shifting your gaze from the reflections, the passing phenomena, to the sky within which they all arise and pass away. The sky is boundless, limitless. It contains everything that arises. The horizon is only a perceptual or conceptual boundary that can never be reached. Even on the cloudiest day, the sky is luminous above the clouds, pervasive, limitless, and free.

Awareness has the qualities of luminosity and limitlessness. It is present always, behind, between, and beyond all the ever-changing phenomena. Whenever you catch yourself identifying with the mental “clouds,” simply shift your identification from the clouds to the sky itself. Realize that what you’ve been seeking is what you already are and have always been! Big Sky Mind opens us to seeing that our true nature is this awareness within which all experience arises and passes away.

adapted from Yoga Journal, by Frank Jude Boccio

Zen Timepiece with brass singing bowl, a meditation timer

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

why am I so tired?

Before you chalk up your lethargy to chronic fatigue, first consider these other possible causes.

By Alice Lesch Kelly

You’re exhausted all the time. You can barely pull yourself out of bed in the morning, you’re sleepy in the afternoon, and you’re ready to hit the sack at sundown. Could you have chronic fatigue syndrome? It’s possible, but you may want to investigate these other common ailments as well:

Iron-deficiency anemia. People with IDA feel fatigued, laconic, and cold due to a lack of iron in their blood. Iron supplements can usually take care of the problem.

Depression. Not only does the worry and anxiety that accompany depression wear you out, it may also affect the quality of your sleep, leaving you constantly exhausted. If you suspect depression, consult with a therapist, who may recommend behavioral therapy, antidepressant medication, or other healing modalities.

Mitral valve prolapse. This is a condition in which a heart valve fails to work correctly, causing a heart murmur. People with MVP may feel tired for a number of reasons, including a decrease in REM sleep, low blood volume, and excess adrenaline. For some patients, drinking plenty of water can ease symptoms by boosting blood volume, although others require medication.

Sleep disorders. Conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome can interrupt sleep without sufferers even realizing they have them. Doctors treat these conditions in a variety of ways, including air pumps that aid nighttime breathing, medication, dietary changes, or massage.

Hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid slows down metabolism, which leaves sufferers feeling tired and sometimes cold, constipated, or depressed. Daily thyroid replacement pills can get metabolism back on track.

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.

gentle chime alarm clocks

Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl St.

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

adapted from Yoga Journal.com

Meditation

The Meaning of OM

You’ve been om-ing your way through yoga class for years, but have you ever wondered what the mantra really means? According to the Yajur-Veda, one of the earliest sacred texts of the yoga tradition, om represents the entire universe — past, present, and future. The sound is actually a combination of four parts: a (“ah”), or wakefulness; u (“oh”), the dream state; m (“mmm”), the quietness of deep, dreamless sleep; and the silence that follows, which represents pure consciousness.

As yogis will attest, the vibrations of om help settle the mind in a profound way. But don’t wait until your next hatha class to say it. Use it whenever you need a quick infusion of calm.

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

Meditation Timer and Singing Bowl Alarm Clock for Yoga and a Peaceful Awakening

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.

adapted from Whole Living Magazine, April/May 2007

Zen Timepiece, a brass singing bowl clock and timer for meditation and yoga

Compassionate Listening Practice by Thich Nhat Hanh

When we speak of listening with compassion, we usually think of listening to someone else. But we must also listen to the wounded child inside of us. The wounded child in us is here in the present moment. And we can heal him or her right now.

Practice:

“My dear little wounded child, I’m here for you, ready to listen to you. Please tell me all your suffering, all your pain. I am here, really listening.” If you know how to go back to her, to him, and listen like that every day for five or 10 minutes, healing will take place. … Do that for a few weeks or a few months, the wounded child in you will be healed. Mindfulness is the energy that can help us do this. —Thich Nhat Hanh, from Anger: Wisdom to Cool the Flames

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 Mindfulness Gong and Timer

adapted from Natural Solutions Magazine, January 2008

Zen Timepiece with brass bowl, a perfect meditation timer with gentle gong

Now & Zen’s Clocks and

Timers

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

tea for stress

By Melaina Juntti

When the going gets tough, the tough get brewing, a notion legions of tea-loving Brits have subscribed to for centuries. Now, a City University of London study shows that putting a kettle on the stove and sipping tea in times of crisis or unrest can reduce stress—and even make you feel calmer than before the trauma. After subjects completed timed, stress-inducing tests, researchers gave one group half a cup of English breakfast tea and the other group water. While the water drinkers’ anxiety shot up 25 percent in response to the quiz, the tea sippers’ stress decreased 4 percent from pre-test levels. But the scientists don’t attribute these results to tea’s soothing compounds—such as the anxiety-easing amino acid L-theanine—they believe the ritual’s comforting, cultural familiarity soothes rattled minds. Plus, because Brits are so accustomed to reaching for tea, many associate warm cupfuls with calming situations such as a caring mum putting on a kettle. So next time you’ve sparred with your sister or spent hours in traffic, channel the Brits and brew up a cup.

“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.

Chime timer and alarm clocks

Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock & Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Courtesan of Montoya with Zen Monk by Suzuki Harunobo, ca. 1770

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.  It is helpful to use the Zen Alarm Clock for a gentle awakening from a nap.

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 Utne.com,September 2009 by Bennett Gordon

Zen Alarm Clocks for a gradual and progressive awakening to a nap, to boost creativity

Now & Zen’s Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302