Zazen: Sitting Meditation
Whatever position you choose, sitting in a chair, cross-legged, or
kneeling with a cushion or bench, choose a position you can
hold comfortably for thirty minutes.
Sit on the front third of your cushion so that your pelvis
is slightly tipped forward and your belly can move freely
while breathing.
Center your spine by gently swaying in decreasing
arcs.
Push your head toward the ceiling, straightening and
extending your spine and aligning your head. Then relax
and drop your shoulders.
Your head should not tilt forward or backward or lean to
the side. Ears over your shoulders, nose in line with
the navel.
Eyes are lowered at a 45 degree angle, looking about three
feet in front of you. If there is a wall there, look as
if you were seeing through the wall.
Lips and teeth closed, tip of tongue against roof of your
mouth, behind front teeth. Swallow and suck saliva ,
creating a vacuum.
Place hands in cosmic mudra, active hand holding the
passive one, palms up, tips of the thumbs lightly
touching, forming a wide oval. Hands can rest on lap,
thighs, or lower abdomen, where they do not create a
stress on your arms.
The whole point of this is to find an alert, energetic
posture which will allow you to sit very still. Check
yourself each time, forming the habit of careful
attentiveness to your body position before zazen.
Breathe in through the nose, filling your lower abdomen as
if it were a balloon, gently breathe out, and in, and
out....
Count one on the inbreath, two on the outbreath. Continue
counting until ten, and then go back to one. Allow the
counting to serve as a guide only, and when you stray
from the counting, and get carried away with your
thoughts, just notice that, and begin counting from one
again.
Many many ideas and feelings and thoughts will float
by. There is no need to attach to them. There is no need
to judge your practice, just practice. Zazen will protect
you.