Practical Zen

for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness

Booking for the current Practical Zen course is now closed.

The Practical Zen course will run again in 2023. If you would like to reserve a place, please contact us. Or you can join our mailing list to find out about upcoming courses.

Practical Zen meditation for modern life.

Work with your body, mind and energy to create greater wellbeing, vitality and awareness, and a deep sense of your connection to everything.

Learn a simple, useful practice and find out how you can apply it to everyday life for:

  • Better focus
  • Clearer awareness
  • Less stress and anxiety
  • More energy
  • Increased wellbeing
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Increase your mental clarity

With the daily use of digital gizmos and social media we have been training our minds to concentrate for only a few seconds.

Studies show that on average a person can now hold their attention for 8 seconds, compared to 12 seconds in the year 2000.

You may have already have been distracted by your phone while reading this. Our attention span is in decline and the negative social impact of this is obvious.

With the mind wandering so readily it is harder to stay focused on the task at hand or make decisions with clarity. Perhaps you have noticed this happen to you or others around you.

Give yourself time and space to focus on what really matters. And when you need to, get more done with less stress.

The strange thing about meditation practice in the morning is that it carves out yet more of your day. But because it’s a space where nothing happens, actually it provides you with space, and you see that space in your day at other points. The day feels very different as a consequence.

– Jonathan, Shaolin Arts student with Fully Alive

Better focus, less distraction

This 8-week course is designed as an introduction to Practical Zen for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness. It is open to everyone, whether you have never practiced meditation or you already have a practice and want to deepen it.

Frustration

This course is for you if:

  • You have trouble with focusing on things for long
  • You become easily distracted
  • You look at your phone and social media many times a day
  • You want to enjoy increased focus and relaxed states
  • You want to be able to deal with what life throws at you
  • You want to learn or deepen a daily seated meditation practice
  • You want to enhance and deepen your current qigong training
  • You are willing to invest 25 minutes a day for meditation practice

This course is not for you if:

  • You hope things will change, without doing something different
  • You can’t make time to practice every day

Common misconceptions and beliefs around meditation and mindfulness

 

I am no good at emptying my mind, so there is no point in practicing.

Zen meditation isn’t about having no thoughts or emptying your mind. You are not trying to get rid of anything. Rather you will learn how to increase your awareness, and be more comfortable with and accepting of whatever arises in the process.

 

I can’t sit cross legged, so I will be no good at meditation.

I also couldn’t sit cross legged at first. But the practice can be done standing, laying down, walking, sitting in a chair, on a cushion, and cross legged if you are able. A chair works just fine.

 

Meditation is weird and spiritual, and I am not into that!

This course is about a grounded everyday mind, body, breath practice. While meditation has its roots in Buddhist teachings, this course is non-religious and practical, not spiritual.

 

It will interfere with my other practices.

Zen meditation and mindfulness enhances our ability to be and stay focused with more ease, while increasing awareness. The practice works well alongside other practices such as yoga, qigong, martial arts and movement-based arts.

Enhance your existing practice

Meditation and mindfulness are often quoted and sometimes misunderstood. Yet they are essential, especially if you want to reach the heights and depths of your qigong practice.

 

Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit’s teacher said:

If you want to soar to the heights and reach the depth of kung fu, you must practise chi kung; if you want to soar to the heights and reach the depth of chi kung, you must practise meditation.

 

The patriarch of Taijiquan, Zhang San Feng, emphasised in his treatise ‘Focusing Spirit Accumulating Energy Treatise in Grand Ultimate Practice’ “Not miss hit sitting”, meaning not to miss sitting meditation.

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Zhang San Feng

‘I love the meditation practice. It’s helping me consolidate this into a daily practice for me which is super useful.

It's also strengthening my back and posture. Knowing how to sit correctly has been a revelation to me.’

– Kate, Shaolin Arts student

These two short videos will give you an insight into some of the techniques you will learn on the course.

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Tim has practiced Shaolin Cosmos Qigong in the Zen tradition under instruction from Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit for over 20 years, and has helped hundreds of students find increased mental clarity, focus and inner calm. He has trained as a Zen Yoga and Meditation teacher with Master Daizan Skinner and Zenways, and is now a Zenways student Meditation/Mindfulness teacher.

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Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit in sitting meditation

Daizan Skinner

Daizan Skinner with his teacher Shinzan Roshi

Tim Franklin

Tim Franklin

For a long time, I avoided a sitting meditation practice, believing all I needed was the standing meditation we practice in Qigong.

During my Zen Yoga teacher training with Zen Master Daizan Skinner I realised some of the depths that could only be achieved through seated meditation.

It is true that standing meditation can lead a practitioner into deep states of relaxation, expansion and bliss. For some, this type of practice can feel like a holiday, which admittedly is a very nice experience, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, sometimes this practice can feel like an escape, and then we come back to reality of dealing with everyday life. 

In contrast, the seated meditation in the Zen Mindfulness practice is not an escape. It encourages us to be with all the thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations that arise, helping us deal with everyday challenges as they happen.

The practice also helps strengthen your body, supporting your structure and posture. Many people wrongly think meditation is all about blissing out and mindfulness is about deep thinking and moving slowly. I part joke here, but there is truth in this.

Suggesting that through your zen meditation practice you will become fitter and stronger may come as a surprise.

A daily meditation practice requires remaining upright and relaxed for 25 minutes. During this time the body is making thousands of micro-adjustments to keep you from slumping.

If you remain upright for the duration of the practice, you will have not only trained your body but increased your focus and awareness too.

Practical Zen

The Practical Zen guidebook

My teacher Julian Daizan Skinner, with Sarah Bladen has written a book to go alongside this 8-week course called Practical Zen for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness. This can be bought on Amazon here. While it is not essential you buy this book you may find it helpful, as well as have access to recorded practices by Daizan Skinner.

 

Can I just buy the book instead of doing the course?

Many people have benefited from the book alone. However, if you want a guided, more immersive and supported learning experience, among other practitioners, as well as time to ask questions and share experiences along the way, then the online course will better serve you alongside the book.

 

What if I can’t make one of the classes?

The classes will be recorded and uploaded to view on the Fully Alive Academy site for you to view anytime and catch up. The important thing is for you to maintain a daily practice.

Practical Zen for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness

Zen meditation and mindfulness

Next course in 2023.  Dates to be confirmed.

Cost: £200

Paid at time of booking.

 

Permanent access to the eight class recordings.

Join the classes live, or take classes using the recordings.

 

Money Back Guarantee

If you start this course and find that by the second week you don’t have the time to commit to a daily practice and follow the course, then you can receive a full refund and re-join us when you are ready.

 

Discounts

For Premium members of the Fully Alive Academy apply 20% Discount.

Why not take this opportunity to start a regular meditation practice?

Discover better focus, increased clarity and a deeper sense of wellbeing, with the guidance and support you need to learn and maintain a meditation practice.

Stay in Touch

If you would like to hear more about our courses and classes, sign up to our mailing list to stay in touch.  We only send one email every week or two.