Bring your own Zen

  It’s not always easy to find peace on your organic cotton buckwheat filled meditation cushion in the flickering candlelight and sandalwood-scented quiet of your home sanctuary — how the heck are you supposed to hold on to serenity in the midst of ringing phones, jamming copiers, other people’s radio stations, jarring conversations and demands of a customer clientele that’s not always right?   If you have aspirations of enlightenment and service to others but have chosen to live in the “real world” rather than behind the spiritual shield of a monastery you might be what Buddhists call a “householder-bodhisattva.”   I’ve only had the fortune to visit the once, but Genro Sensei’s dharma talk hit home. Quoting Chan Buddhist monk Yuanwu’s (1063-1135) , he told us:  

“It will always be hard to tame the will for fame and rank and power and position, not to mention all the myriad starting points of vexation and turmoil associated with the burning house of worldly existence. The only way is for you yourself to realize your fundamental, real, wondrous wholeness and reach the stage of great calm and stability and rest.”

  Easier said than done. Thus, the doing is what we hope to learn to do better with every sunrise. Achieving tranquility and maintaining authenticity at work is a matter of daily perseverance. As modern philosopher Robert M. Pirsig wrote in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), “The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” In the 21st century, even those who say “New Age” like it’s a naughty word will admit stress management is sound medical advice. Like it or not, we are sensitive to our environment and while it may be far-fetched to give your workspace a complete feng shui makeover but there are simple, surprisingly effective things you can do to clear your workspace of negative energy.   Just Breathe Unless you work for some utopian enlightened company, you probably won’t have access to a safe space to mediate for even five minutes during the work day. But no one can stop you from breathing. Breath is spirit. (Literally. The word“spirit” is derived from Latin for “breath.” “Soul” derives from the root “to breathe.”) Breath calms us and focuses us, sending life-sustaining oxygen to the brain and the rest of our body. It is the most important thing we forget to do on a daily basis. Save part of your lunch break for a mind-clearing walk. The word “zen” means “meditation” which simply means to acknowledge what is. You cannot control your mind, but you can catch it in the act of thinking negative or obsessive thoughts. And then repeat, like the breath, your preferred re-training.   That Certain Je Ne Feng Shui I sit in a cubicle all day most days. Not only is there no office door to shut, I’m right on the hallway. I don’t need a scientific study to know that people walking up behind a person all day is a sure source of anxiety. If you work in retail or the restaurant or other service industry, you may not even have this much protection, but even the smallest improvements can make a big difference. Add a small desklamp, if you can, to distract energy from soul-sucking fluorescent over head lights. Keep your space as clean and clear of clutter as possible. Make personal items like crystals, totems, and texts portable if you can’t make them permanent.   Sound Off Music has the power to change even the most resolute of moods- the wrong love song will find your tears no matter how happy you thought you were. Too tired to work out? There’s a playlist to pump you up. Researching the power of music to affect the mind on a hunch one day when I wanted to kill one co-worker or another, I stumbled across Dr. Jeffrey Thompson and his . Thompson specializes in “brainwave entertainment” that layers “modulated sound pulses” with melodies change the listener’s state of consciousness for optimal mind body healing. Dozens of albums offering Alpha, Theta, Beta, Gamma, and Delta wave recordings are available on Spotify and on especially stressful work days, you’ll find me under the headphones listening to onebrainwave symphony or meditation soundtrack or another. Does it work? I think so. And my co-workers are still alive.   My Favorite Manta Slogans get a bad rap, but they work and they’re not going anywhere. Whether you’re the “Keep Calm and Golf On” sort of guy or a Serenity Prayer gal, find a few words to lean on when the going gets rough. I have scraps of paper tacked up all over my cubicle, from art-related quotes by Fernando Pessoa, Jim Jarmusch, Sister Corita Kent, and Louise Bourgeois, to reassurances from my favorite monk Norman Fischer (), philosopher Alan Watts, and meditation instructor Phillip Moffitt ().   Get Out (of your own way) The surest way to stop feeling frustrated or overwhelmed or just plain icky is to get out of your own head. Connect to a power beyond yourself and get perspective of your place in the greater fabric of the universe. Are you even going to remember today five years from now? Go talk to someone else. Chances are they’re going through some conflict orstruggle of their own. Better yet, go do something nice for someone else. Send a message or postcard and let someone know you are thinking of them.   Nature Nurture A side effect of my part-time jewelry making work is that I discovered certain natural crystals and minerals really do seem to have soothing, healing, or strengthening vibrations. I have a small collection of stones on my desk which I rotate when inspired. Others can easily be worn in a (unisex) wrist mala bracelet. Any natural touch can help take the edge off our electronic workspaces. Also on my “new age desktop” are a pinecone, a small dish of beach glass and shells I picked up at some arts event, and a small owl figurine. Hardly needing any care, air plants affixed to crystal geodes or contained in small glass terrariums are perfect for the office (and ideal for gift giving.)