After a long week at work, there is nothing we look forward to more than a relaxing weekend. Unsurprisingly, if many of us don’t get that perfect break of a stress-free weekend, we don’t embrace Monday mornings at our best.
Finding Zen can awaken your mind to fresh possibilities, manage your day-to-day life with a stronger frame of mind and, ultimately, gain inner peace.
Zen is a state of mind. It is a mind free of illusions and distractions; achieving true liberation and happiness with oneself.
So it’s time to get your mind out of work and enjoy a bit of self-love. Take a look below to find your perfect way to achieving true Zen this weekend.
Zen Meditation
Living each day like it’s a 100 metre race to the finish line is exhausting. It will consume all your energy, leaving you very little left over to enjoy the weekend. In this scenario, you may find yourself searching for some stillness, peace and serenity.
Meditation is believed to be the key to unlocking true Zen. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School explained how 80% of visits to the doctor is stress related. The study explored how Zen meditation can improve your health and revealed that with meditation people experienced a 28% reduction in stress levels and a 20% improvement in sleep each night which undeniably helps them to be more productive during the day and happier in general.
You’ll need to think about your meditation space, where you are able to achieve Zen, as choosing the right place is essential. It will be a place you can escape to, recharge your energy and find inner peace. Find a room or an area in your home you feel comfortable in and personalise it into your own sanctuary. This could include enhancing the room with natural colours, aromatic scents and a touch of nature with some green potted plants. It could even be in your garden, or a quiet area in the local park if you prefer to be surrounded by nature. Wherever you decide upon, your meditation space will be a safe haven for you to listen to your soul and find your Zen.
Zen Yoga
If you wish to actively change your mental and physical state, Zen yoga is the way to go.
This form of yoga refers to the practises than can be recognised within Zen Buddhism traditions. Some Zen temples in the west include yoga styled exercises that are performed each morning to help unlock the body and the mind to complement the Zen training and teachings.
Zen yoga will train you to entirely immerse yourself in the activity. It combines physical movement, gentle stretching with mindful breathing techniques to strengthen both the mind and the body. You can attend Zen yoga classes to learn the age-old practise and realise the amazing benefits. Embracing yourself in Zen yoga each weekend will allow those living a sedentary lifestyle to gently improve their physically health, as well as reduce stress and increase energy.
Adrenaline Zen
Not all of us are alike – some of us love the peace and quiet when trying to find our Zen, but others find it difficult to stay still for long periods of time.
Often we refer to achieving a Zen state of mind as slowing down, however, doing something that gets your heart racing can also appeal to your inner peace. You could look at adrenaline and Zen as the yin and yang, two opposite components, to mental wellbeing. So doing something spontaneous and thrilling could help you find happiness within yourself in a way you wouldn’t have thought.
When adrenaline is released into the body you experience a heightened state of physical and mental alertness, unlocking the best of your brain power. When your bloodstream is pumping with this hormone, the brain is oxygenated, fully engaged, laser-focused and can complete cognitive tasks much more efficiently. You feel an enormous sense of accomplishment once the task is completed, fuelling a rush of happiness within yourself: some find Zen by tapping into their inner strength with a kick of adrenaline.
You could get your heart racing by doing something as exhilarating as sky diving or as tense as a boot camp where you face challenges to complete a mission. Choose something new and thrilling that will get you out of your comfort zone at the weekends. Even a little adrenaline, in small doses for a short duration, can give you a boost of energy and help you find your own way to Zen.
Indulgent Zen
Sometimes to find Zen you have to get away for the weekend and indulge in some self-love. Take time out to enjoy your surroundings and immerse yourself in nature. If you’re looking to be inspired, there are plenty of walking routes in The New Forest where you can indulge yourself in the sights, the smells and sounds of nature around you.
You can book yourself an Away Resorts New Forest Holiday and indulge yourself by staying in a luxury lodge during your stay. Here, within the peace and tranquillity, you can be alone with your thoughts and remember the importance of self-care. By taking yourself away at the weekend, it can help you to stop for a moment in your busy life and take the time to understand your own thoughts and feelings better. The teaching of Zen focuses on the importance of ‘becoming one’ with yourself and achieving true of peace of mind. Indulging yourself and taking yourself away for the weekend for some ‘you time’ can help you regain your focus and clear your mind.