Welcome


If you're interested in conscious living, then likely you're just as equally interested in Zen but simply not knowingly interested.

Usually Zen is associated with Japanese culture and religious or Buddhism practice, but true Zen (or at least the way this site uses the term) is emphasizing the value of conscious living.

Zen and conscious living come together and go hand-in-hand. Hence, conscious living without Zen is a huge oversight and vice-versa because these are not two.

"Conscious Flex: Zen & Conscious Living" is designed to offer a partnership of how these seemingly two are actually one movement.

Zen is the foundational spaciousness or presence from which conscious living derives. In the same manner that an artist, inventor or intuitive actions come from the stillness in the silence of non-movement.

In other words, Zen is a resting in the powerful space of not thinking about thought, not doing anything about doing, not trying to be the solver or understander, the knower collector but simply allowing the intelligence of life to flow through you and as you.

What is described can be thought of as meditation or accessing our intuition, but it's actually just natural living.

Often you will see kids in a natural resting space or presence and we tell them "snap out of it" because we think they are in "lala land" or "fantasy land" and not paying attention but actually they are simply being completely present with what is. It's natural to just rest and be, that's the flow from which insight and wisdom arises from.

Hence, conscious living is also the natural flow of how life organically expands upon itself. Consequently, conscious living is Zen living, when it's pure and without conceptual overlays.

Enjoy!

  • About


    Conscious Flex: Zen & Conscious Living

    The purpose of this site is to invite the art of Zen in conscious living. An invitation that is extended to you through the sharing of free zen and conscious articles.

    As a collective humanity we're born into an established culture that conditions us to conform to the status quo norms. We have been conditioned with such strong ideas about what is normal and familiar, that we have forgotten what is natural and unestablished.

    Life is not the mundane existence we are programmed to perspective; full of heartache and pain. Yes indeed, it's quite a challenge to see life beyond the negative lens we have worn all our lives, but the more conscious we become, the easier it is to flex our awareness muscle and begin to perceive life from a much fuller perspective. Life can once again feel like it did when you were a child; enriching, miraculous, mysterious, curious, fun and playful, etc...

    These words are being spoken from a person who used to be labeled as having chronic depression. Most my life I have felt out of place, like something was wrong with me, and this was confirmed when I was told there was a chemical imbalance in my brain.

    Even before I was diagnosed as having chronic depression, the pain of life was strong enough that I tried to commit suicide seven times. Five of those attempts were serious attempts, meaning that I was seriously trying to end my life, not doing it as a cry for help. I was truly as low as I could possibility go and I had no hope of ever perceiving life differently, I truly thought I saw reality for what it really was. If I can go from suicidal to grateful for life, anybody can.

    The truth is that people don't feel the way they do because of who they are or because something is wrong with them, they feel the way they do because there is something wrong with the culture we live in.

    Cultural conditioning refers to habits and thought processes that we develop due to the society that we live in. Enculturation is the process by which people learn the requirements of their surrounding culture and acquire values and behaviors appropriate or necessary in that culture. In other words, we behave the way we do and have the moral values we hold, because in order to function in this society, we must adopt traits that are similar to the culture we live in. Hence, you can't spell culture without the word cult.

    Whether deliberately or not, we are influenced by our surrounding environment and the people in our environment. More often than not, we are influenced in ways that keep us in the habitual rut of unconscious conditioning. It takes extreme courage to live consciously and actively develop an awareness of ourselves and the world. A type of courage that is rarely appreciated by people in our daily lives because it goes completely against the gain of society.

    At first, it can feel like an uphill battle, like the weight of the world is against you, but if you have the courage to keep consciously living in a daily way, it starts to feel more comfortable, natural, and automatic. Eventually, the Zen presence of conscious growth and learning will become the foundation of your daily life.

    Conscious Flex is designed to help you to live your daily life in a conscious way with the added spaciousness of Zen. Whether conscious living or Zen is already your foundation and you're here to continue to learn and grow, or if you are here to begin the process of conscious living with Zen; there is something for everyone.

    The best way to get started would be to , so you remember to come back often. Sometimes starting everyday with a quick read of any article on this site can help you to consciously orientate your day.