Zazen is one of those practices that looks incredibly simple from the outside – sit, breathe, be still – but becomes surprisingly profound once you actually start doing it. When I first began learning Zazen, I honestly thought it was just “fancy sitting.” But the stillness, the physical discipline, the gentle awareness of breath, and the strange spaciousness that comes from not trying to do anything created a kind of grounded clarity I didn’t realise I’d been missing.
If you’re a complete beginner, don’t worry. Zazen isn’t about joining a monastery, shaving your head, or reshaping your entire lifestyle. It’s simply about creating a few minutes of deep presence in your day – a place where you stop wrestling with your thoughts and instead learn to allow them to drift through your mind without grabbing all your attention.
Before we go deeper, here’s the important disclaimer: this is based on my personal experience and research, but I’m not a doctor, nor a therapist. What you’ll read here is the grounded, practical guidance that helped me and many beginners start their Zazen journey – combined with some background from reputable sources.
Let’s begin at the beginning.
What Is Zazen?
Zazen (坐禅) literally means “seated meditation.” It sits at the heart of Zen Buddhism, and the practice dates back more than a thousand years. Unlike many meditation styles that focus on visualisations, mantras, or breath counting, Zazen centres on non-striving, awareness, and direct experience of the present moment.
The goal is not relaxation, although that often happens. It’s not clarity, though you may find it. And it’s certainly not to “empty your mind” – because if you’ve ever tried that, you know how impossible it is.
The aim of Zazen is to learn how to observe without clinging, how to be without performing, and how to sit still even when the mind whirls like a storm.
A great historical overview sits on Wikipedia for anyone who wants a deeper dive into its lineage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen
Why Zazen Works (Even If You’re Not “Spiritual”)
One of the most refreshing things about Zazen is how little dogma it requires. You don’t need to believe anything in particular. You don’t need to chant. You don’t need incense or statues or a special teacher.
What you do need is the willingness to sit still and meet yourself without distractions.
In my experience (and in research from sources like PubMed), a structured sitting practice helps with:
- Reduced stress through regulating the nervous system
- Better emotional self-awareness
- Improved concentration
- Lower rumination
- A stronger sense of inner stability when life feels chaotic
For those who want a scientific angle, here’s a high-authority research hub on meditation in general:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK180102/
Zazen, in particular, is powerful because it removes complexity. It’s meditation reduced to its clearest form. You’re not trying to “achieve” a special state – you’re simply learning to let everything be as it is, including yourself.
What You Need to Start (Spoiler: Almost Nothing)
People sometimes think meditation requires cushions, rooms draped in linen, and the kind of New Age equipment that turns into expensive clutter. In reality, you can practice Zazen anywhere you can sit comfortably and quietly.
Here’s what you may want:
| Item | Purpose | Recommended for Beginners? |
|---|---|---|
| Cushion (zafu) | Helps raise hips and straighten spine | Helpful, but optional |
| Mat (zabuton) | Protects knees and ankles | Nice, not required |
| Chair | Keeps posture upright without discomfort | Yes, absolutely |
| Quiet space | Minimises interruptions | Strongly recommended |
| Timer | Keeps you from clock-watching | Very helpful |
The beauty of Zazen is its minimalism. Your body is the tool. Your breath is the focus. Everything else is optional.
Setting Up Your Zazen Posture
Posture is a big part of Zazen, not for aesthetic reasons but because the body deeply affects the mind. When you sit upright but relaxed, your breathing deepens, your attention softens, and your thoughts naturally settle.
There are four common ways beginners sit:
1. The Chair Position
Don’t underestimate this option. The goal isn’t yoga-level flexibility – it’s stability. Sit on a chair with:
- Feet flat on the floor
- Back straight (not rigid)
- Hands resting on thighs or in cosmic mudra
- Head slightly tilted down
2. Burmese Position
Both feet rest on the floor, not crossed over the thighs. It’s stable but easier than full or half-lotus.
3. Half-Lotus
One foot rests on the opposite thigh. Good if you’re flexible.
4. Full Lotus
Both feet rest on opposite thighs. Strongest posture but not necessary – many never use it.
My personal advice? Choose the posture that lets you stay still for 10 minutes without pain. Zazen isn’t a flexibility contest.
Hand Position (The Cosmic Mudra)
Place one hand over the other, palms up, thumbs lightly touching to form an oval. Rest your hands comfortably in your lap. Your thumbs should touch gently – if they collapse or push up, it’s a sign your mind has wandered.
It’s a surprisingly helpful indicator of awareness.
Where to Look
Most beginners close their eyes because it feels easier, but in Zazen the traditional approach is:
Eyes half-open, unfocused, looking slightly downward about one metre ahead.
This keeps you awake, aware, and grounded – without drifting into sleepiness.
How to Breathe in Zazen
Breathing is natural, quiet, and unforced. The goal is not deep breathing or belly breathing – it’s simply allowing the breath to settle into its own rhythm.
The standard approach is:
- Exhale slowly and fully.
- Allow the inhale to happen naturally.
- Keep your attention lightly on the breath exiting your nose.
When I first started, I expected something more “technical,” but Zazen’s power comes from the simplicity of letting the breath just be breath.
What to Do With Your Thoughts
This is the part where most beginners get stuck. Your mind will not be silent. Thoughts will come – rapidly, chaotically, annoyingly. The trick is not to suppress them.
In Zazen, you:
- Notice the thought.
- Do not judge it.
- Let it float past like a cloud.
- Return to the breath or simply sit with awareness.
If you catch yourself in a thought spiral, gently return to the present. There’s no penalty. No failure. It’s all part of training the mind to stop grabbing everything.
Over time, you’ll start seeing patterns in your thoughts – the recurring worries, frustrations, or distractions. That awareness alone can be transformational.
How Long Should Beginners Practice?
Start with 5 minutes per day.
Yes, just 5.
Building the habit is far more important than long sessions. Once you’re comfortable, increase to:
- 10 minutes
- 15 minutes
- 20 minutes
Traditional Zazen practitioners often sit for 30 to 40 minutes per session, but there is no need to force that early on.
Consistency beats intensity.
A Simple Beginner Zazen Routine
Here’s a routine I personally used in the early days that worked well:
- Sit down and settle your posture.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Take one deep cleansing breath.
- Allow your breath to return to normal.
- Place attention lightly on the exhale.
- When thoughts appear, let them drift.
- When your timer sounds, gently open awareness back into the room.
It’s enough structure to guide you, with enough openness to honour the spirit of Zazen.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
I’ve made all of these, so consider this a friendly warning list.
1. Expecting the mind to become silent
It won’t. Zazen isn’t about stopping thoughts – it’s about noticing them differently.
2. Straining for some mystical feeling
If you’re “trying to relax” or “trying to feel peaceful,” you’ve missed the point. Allow, don’t chase.
3. Sitting in pain because you think posture must be perfect
Pain is a distraction. Use a chair if needed.
4. Getting annoyed when the mind wanders
Everyone’s mind wanders. Zen masters included.
5. Meditating only when life is calm
Meditating especially when life is chaotic is where the real benefit emerges.
A Longer Zazen Meditation Script (Beginner-Friendly)
You asked for long-form meditations in your previous articles, and here is a full, gentle Zazen script written in the same simple, friendly tone. You can record this, read it slowly, or simply use it as guidance.
The Long-Form Guided Zazen Meditation
Sit comfortably. Allow your body to settle into its posture. Feel the weight of your body resting on the cushion or chair. Your spine is upright but not stiff, as if each vertebra is lightly balancing on the next.
Let your shoulders fall away from your ears.
Let your jaw relax.
Let your hands rest gently in your lap, thumbs touching.
Bring your eyes to a soft gaze a metre ahead, or close them if you must.
Now take a long, steady exhale.
Not forced – just enough to clear the moment.
Allow the inhale to happen naturally.
Feel the air touching the inside of your nose as you breathe in.
Feel the subtle warmth of the exhale as you breathe out.
You are not controlling your breath. You are watching it.
You are not trying to achieve anything. You are simply being here.
Thoughts may appear already.
That’s normal.
Acknowledge each thought the way you might acknowledge a passing stranger on a quiet street.
A polite nod… and then you continue on your way.
Return the attention gently to the breath.
Not rigidly. Not tightly.
Just a soft awareness, like holding a feather in your open palm.
If the mind wants to wander, let it wander.
If the mind wants to think, let it think.
Your only invitation is to stay aware.
Notice how your body feels.
Are there small tensions?
Are there small places of ease?
You are not fixing anything.
You are simply noticing.
Allow yourself this moment of stillness.
This pause in your day.
This time to sit without needing to solve, answer, or perform.
Let everything be exactly as it is.
This breath.
This body.
This mind.
You don’t need to change a thing.
Sit with what is present.
Sit with what arises.
Sit with what fades.
Awareness expands and contracts naturally.
Let it.
If emotions surface, let them be part of the experience.
If boredom appears, be present with the boredom.
If calmness appears, be present with the calm.
Whatever comes is part of the practice.
Whatever goes is part of the practice.
You are simply sitting in the truth of this moment.
For the final breaths, allow your attention to widen.
Feel the whole room around you.
Feel the sounds, the air, the sensations in your body.
Let them all be part of your awareness.
Slowly lift your gaze.
Gently return to your day.
Carry this stillness with you – not as a special feeling, but as the simple memory that you can always return to this posture, this breath, this presence, whenever you need it.
What You Can Expect in the First 30 Days of Practice
Beginners often ask, “When will I notice a difference?” This is what typically happens in the first month:
| Week | What You May Experience |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Restlessness, wandering thoughts, physical fidgeting |
| Week 2 | Short pockets of calm; thoughts feel slightly slower |
| Week 3 | More consistency; less anxiety around ‘doing it right’ |
| Week 4 | Brief moments of clarity and presence; deeper breathing |
Zazen teaches patience. Small progress is still progress.
A Very Light History of Zazen (Beginner-Friendly)
Zazen evolved from the teachings of Bodhidharma, the monk traditionally credited with bringing Zen to China around the 6th century. It later became central to the Sōtō and Rinzai schools of Japanese Zen.
- Sōtō Zen emphasises shikantaza (“just sitting”).
- Rinzai Zen often uses kōans – paradoxical questions – to interrupt habitual thinking.
But for beginners today, you don’t need to worry about schools or lineages. They simply represent different flavours of the same essential practice.
How to Make Zazen a Daily Habit
If you’re like me, you might start strong for a few days and then let it slip when life gets busy. Here’s what actually helped me stick with it:
1. Make the practice ridiculously small
Five minutes is enough.
2. Meditate before checking your phone
Otherwise notifications become the boss of your mind.
3. Pair the habit with something you already do
Morning coffee
After brushing teeth
Before bed
Consistency beats willpower.
4. Use a dedicated space
Even a corner of a room helps anchor the habit.
5. Don’t rate your sessions
Some will feel peaceful, others chaotic. Both are Zazen.
How Zazen Helps With Anxiety, Stress, and Overthinking
I’ll say it again: I’m not a doctor. I can only speak from my own experience and common psychological principles.
Zazen helps because:
- Stillness interrupts the cycle of overthinking.
- Breath awareness slows the stress response.
- Observing thoughts without believing them helps reduce emotional reactivity.
- Regular practice builds a sense of inner resilience.
The mind becomes less like a buzzing beehive and more like a quiet lake – at least for a few minutes a day.
What Happens When You Stick With Zazen for a Year?
Most people underestimate the long-game benefits. Here’s what many practitioners (including myself) report after consistent practice:
- Better emotional regulation
- More patience
- Greater clarity under pressure
- Less attachment to annoying thoughts
- More grounded decision-making
- A stronger gut instinct as noise fades
- A calmer baseline mood
The word I’d use is spaciousness. Not bliss, not enlightenment – just more space between stimulus and response.
How Zazen Differs From Other Meditation Styles
Here’s a simple comparison table to make the distinctions clear:
| Meditation Type | Focus | What Makes It Different |
|---|---|---|
| Zazen | Posture, breath, open awareness | Non-striving; thoughts allowed to drift |
| Mindfulness meditation | Awareness of present moment | Often more structured |
| Breath-counting | Counting inhalations/exhalations | Gives beginners an anchor |
| Mantra meditation | Repeating a phrase | More auditory and rhythmic |
| Guided meditation | Instructions from a guide | Less still, more narrative |
Zazen is the bare-bones, minimalist form. That’s exactly what many beginners find refreshing about it.
How Long Until You Notice Change?
Some people feel a shift after the first session. Others only after a few weeks. But the changes often show up in subtle ways:
- You react slightly slower to irritation.
- You notice your thoughts instead of drowning in them.
- You breathe deeper without trying.
- You feel less rushed by default.
Don’t look for transformation during meditation – look for it in how you live outside of it.
Troubleshooting: When Zazen Feels Hard
It will feel hard. And that’s normal.
Here’s a cheat sheet:
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Legs or back hurt | Posture too rigid | Use a chair or higher cushion |
| Mind racing | Normal cognitive activity | Allow thoughts without resistance |
| Sleepiness | Not enough support or energy | Try sitting earlier or opening eyes |
| Boredom | Mind resisting stillness | Notice boredom as part of practice |
| Frustration | Expecting results | Drop expectations entirely |
You’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing it.
Bringing Zazen Into Everyday Life
This is where Zazen becomes genuinely transformative. Here are small ways to weave it into the day:
1. Zazen Walking
Walk slowly, breathing naturally, noticing each step.
2. Zazen Eating
Taste the food, chew slowly, don’t rush.
3. One-Breath Pause
When stressed, take one slow exhale before responding.
4. Zazen Listening
Let someone speak without formulating your reply.
These micro-practices change how you move through the world.
A Closing, Friendly Thought for Beginners
When people start Zazen, they often think they’re supposed to be “good at it.” But Zazen is not a skill to master; it’s an experience to return to.
Some days your mind will be wild.
Some days it will be calm.
Most days it will be somewhere in the middle.
The quality of the session does not matter.
The fact that you showed up does.
Zazen teaches you that you are not your thoughts, and you don’t need to obey every emotion, impulse, or worry that appears in your mind. You learn to observe, allow, breathe, and come back – again and again. And that alone can change your entire inner world.
If you’re a beginner, the best advice I can offer is simple:
Sit.
Breathe.
Notice.
Let go.
Repeat tomorrow.
That’s Zazen.
