stress is the animal within

What is meditation?
I used to think it was letting your mind wander to far-off lands and becoming one with mountains and other such silliness. Now, not only do I think it's not silliness, but I've greatly expanded my definition of meditation.

1. Think about the Japanese - they live all huddled together on that tiny island - so they very badly need something to withdraw from the worlds pressures. Thus, Zen is born.
2. Zen is the art of clearing your mind and controlling your breath. This is the first step towards dealing with stress, and ultimately, reaching enlightenment.
3. At first look, stress comes from social pressures. Up to a point, stress helps us learn and perform better. After this point, stress becomes damaging. This is the famous "Yerkes-Dodson Law." see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkes-Dodson_law
4. According to Zen, all suffering comes from ignorance. Stress can be advantageous, but if you can not control it, you are damaging yourself, and are then suffering. My biggest realization is that thoughts cause stress. If you are thinking - your mind is sending signals to your body to prepare to move around - these signals are chemicals which are known as stress. To calm the mind is everything! So we must meditate.
5. Stress is the animal inside you - to be unleashed only at your will. If you let social situations and circumstances get to you - you are not leading a controlled, Zen lifestyle. Your inner animal is controlling you, and it is damaging you. Reclaim your mind by putting the animal back in the cage. You should reach a point where the animal only comes out when necessary; you are no longer preconditioned to becoming stressed-out.

More reading - Highly recommended: The Breakout Principle


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