I’ve been meditating in various forms since my teenage years, albeit with many on and off periods. Lately, I seem to have found a style that suits me very well, and I’ll be sharing some background on that today.

Essentially, I’ll be describing zazen meditation.

Zazen is primarily a seated type of meditation. There are several types of meditation, including ones that involve walking or even lying down. Zazen is considered the heart of Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist practice.

The aim of zazen is that of suspending all judgmental thinking and letting words, ideas, images and thoughts pass by without getting involved in them. Of course, all this is done while being immersed in sitting meditation.

In Zen temples and monasteries, practitioners traditionally sit zazen as a group in a meditation hall, usually referred to as the zendo. The practitioner sits on a cushion called a zafu, which itself is usually placed on top of a low, flat mat called a zabuton.

Before taking one’s seat, and after rising at the end of the period of zazen, a Zen practitioner performs a gassho bow to their seat, and a second bow to fellow practitioners.

The beginning of a period of zazen is traditionally announced by ringing a bell three times (shijosho), and the end of a round by ringing the bell either once (houzensho).

Long periods of zazen may alternate with periods of kinhin (walking meditation). In such cases the bell sequence will be a bit more elaborate than what I just described:

1. Three rings to start zazen
2. Two rings to end zazen and start kinhin
3. One ring to end kinhin
4. Three rings to start zazen again
5. One ring to end zazen

If you go to a zazen meditation center you will most likely take part in a longer session that will be punctuated by breaks of walking meditation, so you will hear the bell sequence I just described.

There is no need to use music while practising zazen meditation. It’s not common to have any background music at the zendo. At home, you are free to use whatever works for you.

This practice might seem difficult, but daily practice is very effective in increasing your sense of self-awareness and intuition. While the practice of zazen typically awakens a certain energy and sense of wakefulness in us, there is no need to set any objectives or aims to achieve anything. It simply consists of concentrating on the posture and the breathing as well as the mind and the thoughts it gives rise to.

You will need a zafu and zabuton, as we already mentioned. These can easily be found on Amazon. Here’s a picture of the Calming Breath set I got; I’m very happy with them. The zafu also doubles as a foot rest while working, which is great.

Let’s take a deeper look at each of these three pillars of zazen meditation:

Posture

Sit on the zafu (cushion) cross legged, with the zabuton beneath you for comfort.

There are several poses you can use:

• Full Lotus
• Half Lotus
• Burmese

Full Lotus pose

If you can sit in Full Lotus without serious pain, then it is by far the most stable of all the cross-legged postures.

Place one foot on top of the opposite thigh then lift your other foot up onto its opposite thigh. The soles of your feet should be facing slightly upward and outward. If you experience pain, try going back to one of the easier postures while you continue to work on your mobility for this pose.

Half Lotus pose

Many people who cannot manage Full Lotus can sit quite comfortably in Half Lotus.

Place one foot on top of the opposite thigh. Your other foot should be resting on the floor just under the opposite thigh/knee. Try it both ways. You may find that one side is considerably easier than the other. If that’s the case, then consider some yoga stretches to work on the imbalance so that eventually you can alternate sides and work on Full Lotus.

Burmese pose

The Burmese Pose is ideal for those who aren’t flexible enough to comfortably stay in the Lotus poses. For this reason, it’s currently my preferred pose for meditation.

Put the sole of one foot against the inside of the opposite thigh. Put the sole of the other foot against the shin of the opposite leg. All of both your legs and feet should be in contact with the floor. It’s not an easy position but does offer a really stable platform for those that can manage it.

The weight of the body is placed on three points: the knees pushing against the ground and the perennial muscle which presses against the zafu. The spine is straight and vertical. The back is flexed, and the shoulders are relaxed. The chin is tucked in, the back of the neck is stretched. Push the top of your head up towards the sky. The mouth is closed and the tongue touches the upper palate and the inside of the two front teeth. This calms  “interior chatting”. The eyes are half-closed and look down towards the ground, about one meter in front, without focusing on anything in particular.

Breathing

The rhythm of the breath is very important in zazen meditation.

Breathe calmly through the nose, remaining totally conscious of it, meaning being attentive to each breath, like a tiger on the watch. Breathe naturally and breathe out calm, long, deep breaths all the way under the navel. Don’t judge your breathing – if it’s slow or rapid – it is just the way it is.

Little by little, with practice, breathing out becomes soft, slow, peaceful, long and deep; pushing the abdominal mass downwards and creating a concentration of energy in the zone which is called the kikai tanden (ocean of energy) located under the navel. At the end of the breath, breathing in is done naturally.

State of Mind

Once you have the right posture and the breathing rhythm in place, you can start noticing your state of mind. In the first practices of zazen you will most likely get distracted easily, and you will have many thoughts going on. Once you settle into the practice, however, you will notice that you start to take control over your mind and you start to adopt a stronger, more centered state of mind.

At the end of the day, Zen is very simple, but at the same time very hard to comprehend. It’s a question of struggling and practicing repeatedly, much like life itself. In this seated position of zazen, without doing anything special and expecting nothing in return, if our posture, our breathing, and our mental attitude are in harmony, we will begin to understand the authentic Zen.

If you don’t feel comfortable with zazen, I would recommend that you adopt the pose itself and use a more mainstream kind of meditation. You can use apps like Calm or Headspace for example, which are excellent introductions to the practice of meditation.

Whenever I want to do a quick meditation I still revert to Calm. For example, at times when I don’t have time to do a full zazen meditation session, I’ll just pop in my noise canceling earphones and use Calm to do a 15-minute meditation. You don’t even need a mat for that, you can do it sitting down anywhere.

Further reading and viewing:

A five-minute instruction introducing the correct positioning and breathing for the Zazen style of meditation:

A ten-minute zazen session:

A longer explanation of Zazen and posture:

An introduction to meditation in general, including why it’s beneficial and how to make it a daily habit:

• Dojo Zen Barcelona Kannon
• Association Buddhiste Zen d’Europe

Dealing with Irritation

By nature, I’m quite easily irritated and frustrated, and I am constantly working on improving this part of myself. I know exactly how it feels and how it manifests in my body. I clench my teeth, I can feel my heart beating rapidly, my legs get restless, and everything else in the world seems to fade away as my whole being zooms in on the discomfort and injustice of the situation. It’s a dark place to be in and not conducive to any good result especially when interacting with people.

This sense of irritation and frustration is easily triggered, but a very typical trigger is when I have to call customer service for any big company. Here’s a recent one from when I had to call my bank. As usual, I had to navigate my way through a series of automated questions and subsequent questions, which is enough to trigger some frustration and “don’t waste my time” feeling. Add to that the fact that I was calling due to a mistake the bank had made with my account, so I was already charged going into the call. As I was put on hold and left alone with the elevator music, I noticed stress in my stomach and tension in my body. I stopped, realizing this irritation felt familiar. I know I have this tendency to get frustrated and I didn’t want to strengthen it.

It was an opportunity to tap into my practice. So I took a few deep breaths and helped my mind and body relax. I made a commitment to myself that when the customer rep would come on the phone I would express no irritation and treat them warmly. When she asked if I was having a nice day, instead of projecting my irritation, I said “I am, thanks. How are you?”. The conversation then proceeded calmly, it was indeed their mistake and I had to explain what happened, wait until I was put on hold for a few more minutes, and then have them acknowledge the mistake and rectify it. In this situation there was nothing I could do to influence things, they made a mistake and it needed to be fixed, following all their standard procedures. The only factor I had under my control was my response before and throughout the conversation.

Since this is a challenging scenario for me, when I hung up the phone I had a sense of triumph. If we remain grounded and mindful in situations where we can easily become irritated, even if we don’t get what we want we release the stress and irritation that we are carrying. To me, that in itself is a victory. The way Thich Nhat Hanh describes it is that every feeling is a field of energy; a pleasant feeling is a feeling that can nourish, irritation is a feeling that can destroy. Under the light of awareness, the energy of irritation can be transformed into an energy which nourishes. So basically, our choices directly strengthen the qualities within us. If we practice patience, we strengthen patience. If we get swept away by irritation, we strengthen irritation.

It’s up to us which quality we wish to strengthen.

Building Resilience

During a recent session of meditation I came across this insightful quote by the 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk Shantideva:

Where could I possibly find enough leather to cover the surface of the thorny earth?

Yet leather on the soles of my shoes is as good as covering the entire earth.

Likewise it is not possible for me to restrain the external course of things.

But if could I restrain this mind of mine why would I need to restrain all else?

Too many times we get angry and distressed at what’s happening around us. To be sure, we are never going to be short of things to pick on in this crazy world that we live in.

Shantideva tells us that it is hopeless to try and control the many aggravations of our daily lives. Yet is it possible to change our way of experiencing life instead?

Of course it is! Life is a subjective experience. As I think about this quote, I remember my 93 year old grandmother, who maintains an incredibly positive and cheerful state whatever comes her way.

She’s lived through the Second World War and the early death of her husband amongst many other hardships, but I can’t recall a single time when I found her in an angry, stressed or depressed state.

Unfortunately I haven’t inherited her natural gift of defaulting to having a positive outlook on the world around us, but I know through experience that I can continuously retrain the mind to achieve the same state.

Daily meditation is an essential tool for this purpose. It builds awareness and helps increase our resilience to the challenges and obstacles that we encounter.

Meditation helps remind me of the impermanence of things; the natural ebb and flow of life. It’s a great way to culture feelings of forgiveness, love, and kindness toward the world and fellow humans.

If you have never meditated or have not made it a daily practice, I highly encourage you to do so. For help in getting started, you can check out my favorite meditation app: Calm.

Music is a very important thing in my life; I listen to a wide range of music styles, have experience in DJing, and play basic guitar and piano. In this article I will focus on music styles and apps that help me immerse myself in work and shut the rest of the world out.

Research on Music’s Effectivity

There is some good research done with regard to music and concentration:

Music stabilizes mental, physical and emotional rhythms to attain a state of deep concentration and focus in which large amounts of content information can be processed and learned. Baroque music, such as that composed by Bach, Handel or Telemann, that is 50 to 80 beats per minute creates an atmosphere of focus that leads students into deep concentration in the alpha brain wave state. Learning vocabulary, memorizing facts or reading to this music is highly effective. On the other hand, energizing Mozart music assists in holding attention during sleepy times of day and helps students stay alert while reading or working on projects.

Music Streaming Services

Music streaming services have revolutionized the way we listen to music. They offer vast libraries of songs and albums, personalized recommendations, and the ability to stream music on multiple devices, making it easier than ever to discover and enjoy music on demand.

The size of the music libraries offered by Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, and Apple Music are similar, with all four services offering over 70 million songs.

While all four services have a vast library of songs, the specific selection of music may differ between the platforms. Some songs or albums may be available on one platform but not on the others, so it may be worth checking the libraries of all four services to see which one offers the specific content you are looking for. Additionally, the pricing and features offered by each service may differ, so it is important to compare them and choose the one that best meets your needs and budget.

For general background music, I like to discover new music from the following styles:

• Instrumental Jazz
• Instrumental Bossa Nova

I don’t have any favourite jazz or bossa nova bands so I rely on Spotify to find new albums whenever I get tired of what I’m currently listening to.

Ambient music works really well for tasks such as programming and tech related work. Here are my recommendations:

• Brian Eno
• Tycho
• Jens Buchert
• Emancipator
• Kraftwerk
• Jean-Michel Jarre

While remaining in the electronic realm, trance and electro sometimes work well for me, especially when I need music that packs more punch and infuses a sense of urgency to what I’m doing. This can turn out to be ideal also in the afternoon when I generally tend to feel a bit sleepy. I don’t have too many favourites here, although I do love to listen to the album Berlin Calling from Paul Kalkbrenner every now and then. The Tron soundtrack is also awesome, as is that of The Social Network.

When I need to be really pumped up and I don’t mind lyrics I turn to my favourite music in the form of euro dance and rock. I have an extensive euro dance collection from the late 90s and early 00s and that’s what I put on in these occasions. My favourite rock band is Queen and they are usually the ones on my playlist when I need some comforting music to help me through some menial work that I would be dreading doing.

You can also check out classical music such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Many people work well with classical music. It’s not my favorite for working but I do use it at times when I’m tired of everything else.

At times all I need is some background noise; I might use some white noise collections on Spotify, Coffitivity, or Noisli.

Spotify

Spotify is a digital music, podcast, and video streaming service that provides access to millions of songs, albums, and other audio content. It was founded in 2006 in Sweden and has since become one of the largest and most popular streaming services in the world. With Spotify, users can stream music on demand, create playlists, discover new music, and listen to podcasts.

The service is available as a free, ad-supported version, as well as a premium version that offers additional features, such as offline playback and higher quality audio. Spotify also provides a platform for artists to share their music and reach a large audience, and it offers a variety of tools for music discovery, such as curated playlists and personalized recommendations based on users’ listening habits. Overall, Spotify is a popular choice for people who want to access a large library of music and audio content from anywhere, at any time, and on any device.

I use Spotify (€9.99/month in Spain, or €6.99 in Malta), and they have geographical pricing in play, see this interactive chart of Spotify prices around the world. Most other services have similar regional pricing schemes.

Amazon Music

Amazon Music ($9.99 or $14.99 for a family plan) is a music streaming service offered by Amazon. It provides access to a vast library of songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts, as well as live radio stations and original content. Amazon Music is available as a standalone service or as part of Amazon’s Prime membership, which includes other benefits such as free shipping, access to Prime Video, and more.

With Amazon Music, users can stream music on demand, create playlists, download songs for offline playback, and access personalized recommendations based on their listening habits. The service also provides a platform for artists to share their music and reach a large audience. Amazon Music integrates with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant, allowing users to control playback using voice commands. Overall, Amazon Music is a popular choice for people who are already Amazon Prime members or who are looking for a music streaming service that is closely integrated with other Amazon services.

Apple Music

Apple Music (€9.99 or €14.99 for a family plan) is a music and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. It allows users to stream over 70 million songs, as well as a large collection of music videos, live concerts, and exclusive content from artists. Users can also create their own playlists, listen to curated playlists and radio stations, and access expert recommendations based on their listening history.

In addition to music streaming, Apple Music also offers music downloads, allowing users to store music locally for offline playback. The service is available on Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, as well as on Android and Windows devices through a dedicated app. Apple Music also integrates with Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, allowing users to control their music with voice commands. Overall, Apple Music is designed to provide a comprehensive music experience for its users, combining the best of traditional music services with cutting-edge technology and a focus on artists and their work. The new Apple Music Sing feature allows you to turn off voice tracks, converting any song into an instrumental piece, potentially suitable as a background for focused work.

Music and Sound Therapy Apps

These apps provide audio content, such as music and soundscapes, aimed at promoting relaxation, sleep, focus, and well-being. They use various techniques, such as binaural beats, psychoacoustics, and neuropriming, to create personalized audio experiences that are designed to have a positive impact on the brain and body.

This type of technology is often referred to as “music therapy” or “sound therapy” and is gaining popularity as a tool for improving mental health and overall well-being.

Brain.fm

Brain.fm is a website and app that offers audio programs designed to enhance focus, relaxation, and sleep using sound patterns and music. It is based on the principles of binaural beats and other sound frequencies that are believed to have an impact on the brain and promote various cognitive and emotional states.

Brain.fm claims to use artificial intelligence and scientific research to create soundscapes that can help users focus, sleep better, or reduce anxiety and stress. The app provides access to a library of audio programs that users can choose from based on their desired outcome.

Focus@Will

Focus@Will is a website and app that provides music specifically designed to help people concentrate and increase their productivity. It is based on the concept of “neuropriming,” which involves using specific types of music to stimulate different areas of the brain and enhance focus.

The app features a library of more than 50 channels of music that have been specifically selected and composed to promote focus and minimize distractions. The channels range from classical music to nature sounds and ambient soundscapes. Focus@Will claims to use science and research to create its music and states that it has been tested and proven to increase focus and productivity. The app allows users to customize their listening experience by adjusting the volume, tempo, and type of music, and also includes a timer to help users stay focused for a set period of time.

Endel

Endel is a mobile app and web platform that provides personalized audio for better sleep, focus, and relaxation. Endel uses a proprietary algorithm to generate real-time, adaptive soundscapes based on specific parameters like the time of day, weather, and user’s preferences. The soundscapes produced by Endel are designed to enhance sleep quality, improve focus and concentration, and reduce stress and anxiety.

The app offers a variety of sound profiles that users can choose from depending on their needs, and the audio adapts in real-time to provide a personalized experience. The app is based on the principles of psychoacoustics, which is the study of how sound affects the human brain and body, and is aimed at helping people improve their well-being through sound.

Alternative Music Apps

Digitally Imported

Digitally Imported (DI.FM) is a web-based music streaming service that specializes in electronic dance music (EDM) and other dance music genres. It was established in 1999 and has since grown into one of the largest online music streaming platforms for electronic dance music fans. DI.FM offers over 80 channels of hand-curated music from a wide range of dance music genres, including trance, house, techno, and more. The service also offers personalized recommendations, song information, and a user-friendly interface.

In addition to its web-based service, DI.FM also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, allowing users to stream music on the go. The service offers both free and premium subscriptions, with the latter offering ad-free listening, higher-quality audio, and offline playback. Overall, DI.FM is designed to provide a comprehensive and immersive music experience for fans of electronic dance music and other dance music genres.

Coffitivity

Coffitivity is a mobile app and website that recreates the ambient sounds of a coffee shop to boost creativity and productivity. It provides users with a background soundtrack of café noise, including the sounds of people chatting, espresso machines, and gentle background music, to create a calming and inspiring environment for work, study, or relaxation.

The idea behind Coffitivity is that the moderate level of background noise in a coffee shop can help people focus and be more productive, while also reducing stress and improving mood. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices, as well as on the web. Users can choose from a selection of different coffee shop sounds, or create a customized mix of sounds to suit their preferences.

Noisli

Noisli is a Chrome browser extension that provides ambient soundscapes to help you focus, relax, or sleep. It offers a variety of sound options, including white noise, rain, thunder, wind, forest, and coffee shop sounds, among others. The extension can be used for productivity, to reduce stress and anxiety, or for background noise while working, studying, or reading. You can customize the sound mix to your liking and save your favorite combinations for later use.

YouTube

I’m including YouTube as an alternative app as it isn’t strictly for music, but many still use it as their main platform for listening to and discovering music.

I typically use YouTube on my secondary monitor to listen to DJ sets from the channel Cercle and some similar ones.

Hope this is helpful and I’d love to know what music you all listen to while working!