Zen yoga
Encyclopedia
Many Founders, an Eclectic & Growing Practice
Many people use the words zen and yoga together to describe a feeling, a state of mind, an orientation toward yoga that is not usually associated with the yoga practices that have come to us from India. Most often the word zen is attached to a yoga practice to distinguish the types of exercises, poses and stretching from traditional hatha yoga poses. Zen is also often attached to yoga to impart an association with east Asian zen beliefs, habits, orientation and world view. There is no single, formal definition of zen yoga. And there is no one founder. Many practitioners and teachers fuse their individual backgrounds, interests, beliefs and training with Indian yoga techniques and create bybrid blends. One of the guiding principles of many zen yoga practitioners is that building energy is focus, not physical strength or endurance. This is a concept that is similar to prana in Indian yoga, but it is expressed and accessed through zen postures in a much more concrete, palpable way."Zen Yoga" further combines the graceful movements of t'ai chi, the energized breathing
Breathing
Breathing is the process that moves air in and out of the lungs. Aerobic organisms require oxygen to release energy via respiration, in the form of the metabolism of energy-rich molecules such as glucose. Breathing is only one process that delivers oxygen to where it is needed in the body and...
of qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
and the relaxed stretching of "Shanti Yoga". The basic principle of Zen Yoga is that the benefits simple breathing, movement and stretching exercises are available to anyone regardless of age, fitness ability or health status. While many modern yoga practices tend toward dynamic poses, Zen Yoga is more concerned with helping people feel better with simple and effective breathing and movement practices.
Zen yoga is very different in attitude and experience to traditional Indian yoga. Like t'ai chi, it is very gentle, and well suited to helping people prevent ill health.