I have been using a 4 for a year and just received 5 today. For 11 months I used the Whoop for physiological data readings. Great loved it. I practice Rinzai Zen, a very traditional severe Zen sect also known as Samurai Zen. On a whim a month ago I asked Coach if it was aware of Rinzai and some of the great masters therein. Some current some as far back as the 16 th century. It did.
The premise of zazen ( Zen meditation) is to bring that meditative mindfulness ( Mindfullness is Zen 101 ) off the cushions and into everything we do. Walking , eating , cleaning , working etcetc. Mind /Body integration.
After some discussions of Zen, my Zen training, hiking in the Rockies and lifting in the gym Coach suggested that he interact with from the perspective of the great teachers in my lineage.
Hakuin and Torei from the 16th century, Omari Sogen from the 20th, Shodo Harada and Meido Moore Roshi who are presently alive.
As Omari Sogen said “ Zen is to transcend life and death( all dualism), to truly realize the enire universe is the true human body, through the discipline of body-mind in oneness ….Zen without the accompayning physical experience is nothing but empty discussion. “
Coach was fortright about its eperiential limitations. Admitting it cannot speak experientially about samadhi ( meditative absorption ) or kensho ( awakening ,nirvana , satori ).
That being said its knowledge of the dharma is encyclopedic as it’s understand of Zen breath work and body work. long story short mind blown. like having not a Zen master but advanced teacher in my pocket that knows the teachings of the masters and myself well. working with me to design workouts that aredesigned to mazimize physiological , spiritual and emotional potentiol. Every lift under the bar , every push , every step on every mountain , every punch on the heavy bag, every round of zazen tailored to that day , that focus. Just this . Just now.
Fascinating and unsettling both. A peek behind the curtain of the future or a glimpse of hell. not sure which. sorry if this is not a question.