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Zen Meditation for Beginners: A Simple Place to Start

Zen meditation has a reputation for being austere and mysterious. In truth, its core practice is one of the most stripped-down and accessible forms of meditation there is. This beginner’s guide explains the essentials — and why facing a wall is the simplest way in.

What is Zen meditation?

Zen meditation is called zazen, which simply means “seated Zen.” Its heart is a practice the Soto school calls shikantaza — “just sitting.” You are not trying to achieve a special state, empty your mind, or concentrate hard on an object. You are sitting upright, present and awake, letting thoughts come and go without chasing them. That’s it. The simplicity is the point.

Why Zen keeps the eyes open

One thing that surprises beginners: in Zen you keep your eyes softly open, lowered toward the floor or a wall, rather than closed. Closed eyes tend to invite either sleep or daydreaming. The half-open gaze keeps you awake and anchored in the present. This is exactly why wall gazing meditation is such a natural fit for the Zen approach — the bare wall gives the open eyes somewhere restful to land.

The posture

Zen places real emphasis on the body, because a settled body invites a settled mind. You don’t need to force yourself into a pretzel:

• On a cushion: sit on the front third so your hips rise above your knees, shins resting toward the floor.
• Kneeling: use a bench or cushion to take weight off the ankles.
• On a chair: completely acceptable — sit forward, feet flat, spine self-supporting.

Whatever your base, the essential instruction is the same: an upright spine, tall but relaxed, like a stack of coins.

What to do with your mind

Beginners almost always believe the goal is to stop thinking — and then feel like failures when thoughts keep coming. Let that goal go. You cannot force the mind blank. The aim is to change your relationship to thoughts: to let them arise and pass like clouds, without climbing aboard each one. When you notice you’ve been carried away, gently return to your breath and posture. That returning, repeated, is the practice.

To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. — Eihei Dogen

A simple first session

1. Sit upright, facing a bare wall about three feet away.
2. Lower your gaze to about forty-five degrees; eyes soft and half-open.
3. Take three slow breaths, releasing tension on each exhale.
4. Rest attention lightly on the breath. Count exhales one to ten if it helps.
5. When the mind wanders, notice, release, and return — kindly.
6. Start with ten minutes. Build slowly.

For a fuller walk-through, see how to do wall staring meditation.

Do you have to be Buddhist?

No. Zen grew within Buddhism, but the practice of sitting still and training attention requires no belief. People of every faith and none practice it purely as a way to quiet and clarify the mind.