I'm New to Zen

Zen meditation, or zazen (literally "seated meditation"), is a practice of simply sitting still and being present with whatever arises in your mind.

• You sit in a stable, upright posture - typically cross-legged on a cushion or in a chair

• Your hands posed in a cosmic mudra or resting on your legs or in your lap

• Your eyes remain slightly open with a soft downward gaze

• You breathe naturally and pay attention to your breath, or sometimes just rest in open awareness

• When thoughts, feelings or sensationss arise (and they will), you notice them without getting caught up in them, and then gently return to the present moment

Unlike some meditation practices that use mantras, visualizations or specific techniques, Zen is remarkably simple and direct.  The idea is not to achieve a special state, but to intimately experience reality as it is, right now.  There's an emphasis on just sitting (shikantaza) without trying to get anywhere or become anything.

Zen meditation isn't about clearing your mind or stopping thoughts—that's actually impossible.  It's about changing your relationship with your thoughts and experiences.  You learn to observe without judging, to be present without clinging or pushing away.  You gain mindfulness.