This talk was given as part of a sesshin (7-day meditation intensive) at Boulder Zen Center. It begins by examining the limited view we have in our Western culture of the body as a material object and introduces an alternative view of the body as flow—material as well as energetic flow. The Western word 'energy' is often used to translate the Eastern concept of 'qi,' but this can lead to misunderstandings if energy is understood as the name for a 'quantifiable physical property' rather than a pointer to experiencing a 'dynamic relational vitality' through our very own body. We can discover and cultivate our energy (qi) through various practices of interrelating attention, breath, movement, and space. After exploring examples of such practices, the talk suggests how awareness of our energy body can be used in Zen practice to support and refine the zazen posture, and how it can lead to an experiential understanding of emptiness and interdependence.

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Zenki Christian Dillo Roshi is the the guiding teacher at the Boulder Zen Center in Colorado, USA. This podcast shares the regular dharma talks given at the center. Zenki Roshi approaches Zen practice as a craft of transformation, liberation, wisdom and compassionate action. His interest is to bring Buddhism alive within the Western cultural context, while staying committed to the traditional emphasis on embodiment.