Counting the breath
Count each out-breath from one to ten, then return to one. The counting gives the wandering mind a gentle rail to come back to.
Zen meditation · Zazen
Sit down. Breathe out. Begin again.
Zen practice asks very little: a cushion or a chair, a straight back, and your attention resting on the breath. When the mind wanders, you notice, and you return. That returning is the practice.
A quiet minute
Count ten breaths.
The oldest beginner's practice in zen is susokukan, counting the breath. Breathe in, breathe out, count "one." Continue to ten, then start again at one. If you lose count, there is nothing to fix. Simply begin again at one.
Press begin when you're ready.
Zazen · seated meditation
How to sit, in four steps.
You don't need a lotus posture or any special equipment. A firm cushion, a folded blanket or the front half of a chair all work. What matters is a stable base and an upright, relaxed spine.
一 Base
Find three points
On a cushion, both knees and your sitting bones touch the floor like a tripod. On a chair, feet flat and hip-width apart, back away from the backrest.
二 Spine
Grow tall
Imagine a thread lifting the crown of your head. Tuck the chin slightly. Let the shoulders drop and the belly soften.
三 Hands
Form the mudra
Rest the left hand on the right, palms up, thumbs lightly touching to make an oval. Let the hands sit against the lower belly.
四 Eyes
Lower the gaze
Eyes half open, resting on the floor about a metre ahead. Don't look at anything in particular. Then turn your attention to the breath.
Ways to practice
One practice, many doorways.
Zen traditions share a handful of forms. Most people begin with breath counting and, over months, explore the others.
Just sitting
Associated with the Sōtō school: no counting and no object. You sit with whatever arises, without following it or pushing it away.
Walking meditation
Between periods of sitting, walk slowly in a line or circle: half a step per breath, hands folded at the chest, attention on the soles of the feet.
Working with a question
In the Rinzai school, students sit with a question that logic cannot settle, such as "What is the sound of one hand?", usually with a teacher's guidance.
Work as practice
Sweeping, washing a bowl, raking gravel. Ordinary tasks done with full attention are treated as meditation too. "Chop wood, carry water."
The circle
Drawn in a single brushstroke, the ensō is zen's best-known image: complete and incomplete at once, made in one breath and never corrected.
A gentle start
Your first seven days.
Short and daily beats long and occasional. Pick a time, such as after waking or before dinner, and keep it the same each day.
| Day | Practice | Time | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Set up a sitting place. Sit and count ten breaths. | 3 min | Posture |
| Day 2 | Count breaths to ten, twice through. | 5 min | Out-breath |
| Day 3 | Breath counting, then two minutes of slow walking. | 7 min | Kinhin |
| Day 4 | Counting the breath. Notice each time you lose count. | 8 min | Returning |
| Day 5 | Count only the out-breath, one to ten. | 10 min | Simplicity |
| Day 6 | Wash one bowl or sweep one floor in silence. | 10 min | Samu |
| Day 7 | Sit without counting. Just sit. | 10 min | Shikantaza |
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”Traditional zen saying
Words you'll hear
A small zen glossary.
- Zazen 座禅
- Seated meditation, the core practice of zen.
- Zafu 座蒲
- The round cushion you sit on, usually filled with kapok or buckwheat.
- Zabuton 座布団
- The flat mat beneath the zafu that cushions the knees and ankles.
- Gasshō 合掌
- Palms joined at the chest, used as a bow of greeting and thanks.
- Sesshin 接心
- A retreat of several days spent mostly in silent sitting.
- Shoshin 初心
- "Beginner's mind": meeting each sitting fresh, without expectations.
Questions
Common questions.
Do I have to sit cross-legged?
No. Burmese posture (both shins on the floor, one in front of the other), kneeling on a bench (seiza), or sitting on a chair are all traditional. Choose the one you can hold still and upright.
How long should I sit?
Start with three to ten minutes a day. In most zen centres, a period of zazen lasts 25 to 40 minutes, but that comes with time. Consistency matters more than length.
My mind won't stop thinking. Am I doing it wrong?
No. Thoughts will come; that is what minds do. Zazen isn't about emptying the mind. It's about noticing you've drifted and coming back, again and again, without scolding yourself.
Eyes open or closed?
Zen traditionally keeps the eyes half open with a soft, downward gaze. It helps you stay alert and present rather than drifting into daydreams or sleep.
Is zen a religion?
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism with a long monastic tradition. Many people practise zazen on its own, as a discipline of attention, without adopting any belief. The sitting is the same either way.
Does this site cost anything?
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