Saturday, April 23, 2022

Yoga, Tai Chi, and Zen

"Questioner:  Is it wise to combine Hatha Yoga or Tai Chi or Karate with Zen?

Roshi Philip Kapleau: Both Hatha Yoga and Tai Chi, provided you separate them from their philosophical aspects and do not devote more time to them than to Zen, go well with zazen and in fact strengthen it.

Questioner:  Do you do any of these, Roshi?

Roshi:  Yes, I do Hatha Yoga for about an hour daily.

Questioner: What time of the day do you do it?

Roshi:  In the morning.  First we have zazen, then chanting and then yoga.  It is an excellent way to start the day.  My teachers, Harada-roshi and Yasutani-roshi, both did calisthenics for an hour every day until the age of about eighty-five.'

-  Zen: Merging of East and West (1989).  By Roshi Philip Kapleau (1912-2004).

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