What Is Zen Yoga?

Zen yoga is the meeting between Zen practice and Hatha yoga.

Now,

Hatha Yoga has its roots in India.

And Zen also has its roots in India,

Although it took a really bit of a longer winding journey to end up where we are.

So Zen is a school of Buddhism.

And as we know it,

It comes from Japan,

But it has its roots further back in China.

And then of course,

All the way back to India where the Buddha was alive.

So when.

Buddhism.

Transferred into China.

It took on a slightly different feel and,

You know,

Like direction.

And they called it Chan practice.

And Chan,

As it moved into Japan,

Became known as Zen.

And Zen is a school of Buddhism,

Which particularly emphasizes our experience,

Our direct experience of our reality and what we find from that reality.

Whereas other schools of Buddhism might emphasize analysis or debate or reading the sutras and understanding the philosophy,

It might also be a little bit more devotional,

Maybe more ceremonial,

Maybe more about the offering of ourselves.

But Zen really emphasizes that direct experience.

Mostly through meditation,

Mostly through sitting meditation,

But it doesn't have to be.

And actually the meeting between Zen.

.

.

And Hatha Yoga is a very happy meeting because this emphasis on direct experience is right there in Hatha Yoga too.

It's using our experience of this body,

How it moves,

The movements,

The stretches,

The sensations which come from that,

And our beliefs and opinions and ideas about our movements,

Which help to reveal,

Maybe like peel off the layers of our reality until we're looking closer and closer and closer at what this really is.

And that's,

Of course,

What Zen is about.

It's about peeling away the layers,

Letting go of all the things that are unnecessary,

Closer and closer to the truth of who and what we really are,

The underlying reality,

The directness,

Not thinking about it,

But being it.

So Zen and yoga together zen yoga,

The inquiry into ourself through movement.