The Room.
As Master Dogen advised nearly a millennium ago, before starting to practice Zazen, you first need to find a quiet place where neither wind nor smoke will intrude. The room in which you will practice Zazen should not be too dark or too bright-average lighting is best. The temperature should comfortable in accordance with the season.
The Zafu and Zabuton.
Zen meditation is practiced on a special round cushion called a zafu in Japanese. The purpose of this cushion is to raise the hips, forcing the knees to touch the ground, which makes one's Zazen more stable and comfortable.
Zafus can be found in various sizes in terms of thickness and diameter, though they tend to be around 13-14 inches in diameter. Traditionally, the zafu is packed with kapok (a soft natural fiber from the Kapok tree) or buckwheat. You can buy a zafu on the Internet; alternatively, as a beginner, you can fold up a thick blanket to function as a zafu, or you can create a makeshift zafu in any way you can think of that works.
In order to be comfortable while practicing, you will also need a zabuton, which is a rectangular mat that is put under the zafu to cushion the knees and legs. Zabutons can also be purchased online, but again, you can use a thick blanket as a makeshift zabuton instead.
How to practice Zen meditation?
There are two ways you can practice Zazen, depending on your flexibility and experience-the half lotus position or full lotus. The half lotus style is generally best suited for beginners. Remember that the most important part of Zazen, whether it is done in the half lotus or full lotus position, is to hold your spine and neck bones straight up, pulling vertically upward. Your posture must be strong.
As Sensei Taisen Deshimaru once explained, "Your posture should be like a tiger ready to pounce, not that of a sleeping pig."
Half lotus (Hankafuza in Japanese).
First, sit down in the center of the zafu, with your buttocks centered straight on it. Bend and turn your right leg so that its outer side and you right knee are touching the zabuton. Bring your foot as close to the zafu as possible. Next, bend your left leg and put the top of your left foot on your right thigh. Finally, put both your knees on the zabuton. This might be difficult to do for some beginners, but with practice, your legs will become more flexible and the posture will become easier.
Full lotus (Kekkafuza in Japanese).
The full lotus posture is the standard posture for Zazen. To get into the full lotus position, first get into the half lotus posture. Then, gripping your right foot, bring your right leg over your left leg and put your right foot on your left thigh. Your legs should now be crossed with your feet resting on the opposite thighs. Again, this position will seem uncomfortable and unnatural for most beginners, but with time, your body and mind will relax and become more flexible, and you will find the posture to be quite comfortable.
Hand Position (Hokkaijoin in Japanese).
The position of the hand during Zazen is the same for the both the half lotus and the full lotus positions. Place your right hand palm-up on your left ankle, close to your belly. Your right wrist should rest on your right thigh. Next, place your left hand palm-up on your right palm so that the fingers of the left hand cover the fingers of the right hand. Let your left wrist rest on your left thigh. Slightly curve your hands so that your thumbs touch each other and form a straight line, with your thumbs on top and your fingers on the bottom.
The tips of your thumbs should lightly touch each other at the height of the navel. Keep your shoulders relaxed and at the same height. Your arms should be kept slightly away from your body, forming a horizontal line from one elbow to the other.
The Back and Neck.
During Zazen, you should make sure that your back and neck bones stay as erect as possible. Pull your chin back a little, and try to "push the sky" with the top of your head. Do not be too tense or too relaxed while you do this; try to find balance in your posture. During Zen meditation, your body should not bend forward or backward, or to the left or to the right. In order to avoid needless movement, make sure that the tip of your nose in roughly in line with your navel.
The Mouth and Tongue.
Keep your mouth closed at all times, placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Your lips should be closed, and your teeth should be together. Breathing should be done through your nose.
The Eyes.
Keep your eyes open naturally during Zazen. There's no need to open your eyes unusually wide, or to half-close your eyes. Without focusing on anything in particular, keep your eyes looking one meter in front of you on the floor. Do not close your eyes; if your eyes are closed, you will easily become drowsy or drift into daydreaming.
Zen Breathing.
Traditionally, the Zen masters never taught proper breathing, which can be achieved through a correct posture. During Zen meditation, breathe quietly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. Take a long deep breath in and out, and let it establish a slow and strong natural rhythm. Breathe out through your nose slowly and quietly, and let your inhalation and exhalation be natural. Zen breathing and martial arts breathing are similar, and they can be compared to the mooing of a cow or the roaring of a tiger.
The Zen State of Mind.
The essence of Zazen is to "not think", that is, to go beyond thinking. Thus, we should avoid having intentional thoughts and images in our head. During Zazen, various thoughts and images will arise in your mind from the unconscious, and this is perfectly natural. Do not become disturbed by these thoughts or caught up in them. Do not pursue them or try to escape from them.
Do not try to fight or struggle with any of these thoughts. The more you try to get rid of them, the more power you will give them, and the stronger they will become. Let them pass by effortlessly, like clouds in the sky. Again, do not fight or grasp them. Maintain a strong posture, and your breathing will naturally settle down, and your mind will become tranquil, serene, and undisturbed.
Beginning Zazen.
To avoid distraction and to calm down the mind, we recommend that you practice Zen meditation facing a wall, as in in Soto Zen. Place your zafu on your zabuton (or folded blanket), so that your body is about one arm's length from the wall. After you have placed your legs in the half lotus or full lotus position, take a deep breath. Put the back of your hands on your knees, palms up, and gently shift your body from left to right two or three times. Next, do gassho (place your palms against each other, as if in prayer, and bend your entire body forward a few seconds). Finally, position your hands in the Hokkaijoin position, erect your back and neck and start Zazen. Practice for 20 to 30 minutes as a beginner.
Finishing Zazen.
Once you have finished Zazen, remain calm and quiet for a few moments; don't hurry to stand up. Do gassho and start by slowly moving your legs first, and then slowly standing up. Try not to talk for a few minutes after completing Zazen.
http://zen-buddhism.net/practice/zen-meditation.html
As Master Dogen advised nearly a millennium ago, before starting to practice Zazen, you first need to find a quiet place where neither wind nor smoke will intrude. The room in which you will practice Zazen should not be too dark or too bright-average lighting is best. The temperature should comfortable in accordance with the season.
The Zafu and Zabuton.
Zen meditation is practiced on a special round cushion called a zafu in Japanese. The purpose of this cushion is to raise the hips, forcing the knees to touch the ground, which makes one's Zazen more stable and comfortable.
Zafus can be found in various sizes in terms of thickness and diameter, though they tend to be around 13-14 inches in diameter. Traditionally, the zafu is packed with kapok (a soft natural fiber from the Kapok tree) or buckwheat. You can buy a zafu on the Internet; alternatively, as a beginner, you can fold up a thick blanket to function as a zafu, or you can create a makeshift zafu in any way you can think of that works.
In order to be comfortable while practicing, you will also need a zabuton, which is a rectangular mat that is put under the zafu to cushion the knees and legs. Zabutons can also be purchased online, but again, you can use a thick blanket as a makeshift zabuton instead.
How to practice Zen meditation?
There are two ways you can practice Zazen, depending on your flexibility and experience-the half lotus position or full lotus. The half lotus style is generally best suited for beginners. Remember that the most important part of Zazen, whether it is done in the half lotus or full lotus position, is to hold your spine and neck bones straight up, pulling vertically upward. Your posture must be strong.
As Sensei Taisen Deshimaru once explained, "Your posture should be like a tiger ready to pounce, not that of a sleeping pig."
Half lotus (Hankafuza in Japanese).
First, sit down in the center of the zafu, with your buttocks centered straight on it. Bend and turn your right leg so that its outer side and you right knee are touching the zabuton. Bring your foot as close to the zafu as possible. Next, bend your left leg and put the top of your left foot on your right thigh. Finally, put both your knees on the zabuton. This might be difficult to do for some beginners, but with practice, your legs will become more flexible and the posture will become easier.
Full lotus (Kekkafuza in Japanese).
The full lotus posture is the standard posture for Zazen. To get into the full lotus position, first get into the half lotus posture. Then, gripping your right foot, bring your right leg over your left leg and put your right foot on your left thigh. Your legs should now be crossed with your feet resting on the opposite thighs. Again, this position will seem uncomfortable and unnatural for most beginners, but with time, your body and mind will relax and become more flexible, and you will find the posture to be quite comfortable.
Hand Position (Hokkaijoin in Japanese).
The position of the hand during Zazen is the same for the both the half lotus and the full lotus positions. Place your right hand palm-up on your left ankle, close to your belly. Your right wrist should rest on your right thigh. Next, place your left hand palm-up on your right palm so that the fingers of the left hand cover the fingers of the right hand. Let your left wrist rest on your left thigh. Slightly curve your hands so that your thumbs touch each other and form a straight line, with your thumbs on top and your fingers on the bottom.
The tips of your thumbs should lightly touch each other at the height of the navel. Keep your shoulders relaxed and at the same height. Your arms should be kept slightly away from your body, forming a horizontal line from one elbow to the other.
The Back and Neck.
During Zazen, you should make sure that your back and neck bones stay as erect as possible. Pull your chin back a little, and try to "push the sky" with the top of your head. Do not be too tense or too relaxed while you do this; try to find balance in your posture. During Zen meditation, your body should not bend forward or backward, or to the left or to the right. In order to avoid needless movement, make sure that the tip of your nose in roughly in line with your navel.
The Mouth and Tongue.
Keep your mouth closed at all times, placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Your lips should be closed, and your teeth should be together. Breathing should be done through your nose.
The Eyes.
Keep your eyes open naturally during Zazen. There's no need to open your eyes unusually wide, or to half-close your eyes. Without focusing on anything in particular, keep your eyes looking one meter in front of you on the floor. Do not close your eyes; if your eyes are closed, you will easily become drowsy or drift into daydreaming.
Zen Breathing.
Traditionally, the Zen masters never taught proper breathing, which can be achieved through a correct posture. During Zen meditation, breathe quietly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. Take a long deep breath in and out, and let it establish a slow and strong natural rhythm. Breathe out through your nose slowly and quietly, and let your inhalation and exhalation be natural. Zen breathing and martial arts breathing are similar, and they can be compared to the mooing of a cow or the roaring of a tiger.
The Zen State of Mind.
The essence of Zazen is to "not think", that is, to go beyond thinking. Thus, we should avoid having intentional thoughts and images in our head. During Zazen, various thoughts and images will arise in your mind from the unconscious, and this is perfectly natural. Do not become disturbed by these thoughts or caught up in them. Do not pursue them or try to escape from them.
Do not try to fight or struggle with any of these thoughts. The more you try to get rid of them, the more power you will give them, and the stronger they will become. Let them pass by effortlessly, like clouds in the sky. Again, do not fight or grasp them. Maintain a strong posture, and your breathing will naturally settle down, and your mind will become tranquil, serene, and undisturbed.
Beginning Zazen.
To avoid distraction and to calm down the mind, we recommend that you practice Zen meditation facing a wall, as in in Soto Zen. Place your zafu on your zabuton (or folded blanket), so that your body is about one arm's length from the wall. After you have placed your legs in the half lotus or full lotus position, take a deep breath. Put the back of your hands on your knees, palms up, and gently shift your body from left to right two or three times. Next, do gassho (place your palms against each other, as if in prayer, and bend your entire body forward a few seconds). Finally, position your hands in the Hokkaijoin position, erect your back and neck and start Zazen. Practice for 20 to 30 minutes as a beginner.
Finishing Zazen.
Once you have finished Zazen, remain calm and quiet for a few moments; don't hurry to stand up. Do gassho and start by slowly moving your legs first, and then slowly standing up. Try not to talk for a few minutes after completing Zazen.
http://zen-buddhism.net/practice/zen-meditation.html
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