Meditation and Yoga in problem solving - Essay Example

R. Fern Sample Research Paper March 28, Sample Answers Alan Watts feels that when we think we complicate something in which we can not understand. He states that we are so small that we can not grasp that we are part of a larger organism: Earth. Watts states “…every man needs to be alone with his thoughts every once in a while” (Watts). I agree with this statement because I think that if every person took the time to sit down by themselves and “meditate” or have deep thoughtful conversation with themselves, then the human race as a whole would be better able to make decisions as a whole.

Watts makes a good point when he explains concept vs. reality. The harder we try to express our concept as being a concrete reality, the more we miss out on the larger scheme of things. The Dalai Lama states, “Usually, I explain emptiness is like a zero. A zero itself is nothing, but without a zero you cannot count anything; therefore, a zero is something, yet zero” (Dalai Lama). This is an interesting concept to grasp. I think that this is an interesting way to solve a problem that someone is stuck on.

People have a certain way of thinking about things, and a certain method to solve problems. However, if someone becomes stuck on a problem than using the same method can be ineffective and frustrating. If someone is able to reduce their thinking level down to zero, then that person can build a new strategy for solving a problem from the ground up. That person can approach the problem from different angles, and try different techniques, materials, or information that they may have not before. 2.

I consider Yoga to be a form of healing, and it works on multiple levels. It stretches the body, giving a good workout but also relaxing the muscles and leave me with a feeling of peace afterward. Yoga also clears the mind of he days worries, and is a way very similar to meditation. Since I have added Yoga to my exercise routine I have noticed a increase in strength and flexibility. I think that the approach to Yoga differs in the same ways Western problem-solving differs from other trains of thought.

Western weightlifting is often based on how intense a workout can be: how fast you can run, how much weight you can lift, how many push-ups you can do. Yoga is much different, Yoga is a slow and steady form of exercise that cleanses the body. The same can be thought for problem solving. In Western education we tend to cram information into our memories with rote memorization and other arcane methods. This affects the way we solve problems. For example, a person who is wants to get to point A to point B, but has a wall in front of them blocking their way.

Western problem solving would be more hard-headed, focusing on the problem and trying to devise a way to carve a hole in the wall. However if that person meditated, or perhaps cleared their mind they stimulate the mind in a different way, allowing new thinking patterns to evolve. Such a person might find out that it is easier to build around, underneath, or over such an obstacle. Works Cited The Dalai Lama, and Sidney Piburn. "Meditation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama." View on Buddhism: (Tibetan) Buddhist Practice and Philosophy. 1993. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.

http://viewonbuddhism.org/Meditations/dalai_lama_meditation.html. Watts, Allen. “A Conversation With Myself. Mar. 2011. Deoxy.org .