Zazen/Kin-hin Guidelines

Zendo Forms

Before moving on to Zazen and Walking Meditation Guidelines, here are the simple forms we keep in the zendo to help us maintain the structure necessary for Zen practice. Don’t be concerned if you miss some at the beginning.  After time, they become second nature.  If you’d like an explanation of why we do these procedures, don’t hesitate to ask one of the teachers or the evening’s facilitator.

Entry

After you pick up your zafu (cushion) bench or chair from the closet, bow when you enter the zendo and pick up a copy of the Short Verses from the holder to the left of the door.

Go to your place and, after putting down your seating and placing the Verses card under your mat, bow to the your place and then to the opposite row. Once you sit down, if someone from the opposite row bows to you, please bow back.

The Short Verses are chanted at the beginning of the sitting, the beginning of the Dharma talk and at the closing.  The best way to hold the hard is directly in front of your face – not placing it on the ground.

During the Dharma Talk please face the speaker in zazen posture (you can adjust a little if needed) and try to maintain stillness throughout.  

Zazen Posture and breath

Posture is the basis of attention in zazen practice. It is the body that sits and, if the body falls out of alignment, the mind will tend to wander. These posture guidelines apply whether you are sitting on a zafu, a seiza bench or a chair.

The body: Keep the spine extended, with a slight curve in the small of the back. The pelvis is tipped slightly forward with the weight on the "sits" bones. When you catch yourself slumping or leaning forward or going off-center in any way, just re-direct the attention to getting yourself in balance. If you are sitting on a zafu try to keep both knees on the zabuton and sit on the first third of  your zafu. If you are on a chair, sit on the first third of the chair and don't lean back if possible. Both feet flat on the floor with legs slightly apart.

The head: The head is aligned to the erect body, with the ears in line with the shoulders, chin parallel to the floor.

The hands: The classic position of the hands in zazen is the cosmic mudra: hands resting on your legs with the right palm up and the left palm resting on it, thumbs slightly touching making an oval. Variations are permissible in our zendo.

The eyes: The eyes are always open in zazen, cast down at about a 45 degree angle, not staring forward but rather just relaxing. This is because Zen is, ultimately, a continuous practice of being present to life since we don't walk around with our eyes closed.

The breath: The breath is the focus of attention in zazen practice. Since it is the belly  that produces the breath, it is much more practical and do-able to turn your attention to your belly as it moves in an out, because the breath can become too vague as a point of focus. 

If you choose to count in order to practice being present, you can put a count of 1 to 10 to each breath, and then return to 1. If you drift off, always resume the count at 1 and don't continue where you left off.

For further practical steps and encouragements to help you maintain your focus on breath and the belly that creates it, please refer to our Practical Solutions/FAQs section.