Mudra
1. Sit on the forward third of a chair or a cushion on the floor.
2. Straighten and extend your spine, keeping it naturally upright, centering your balance in the lower abdomen. Push your lower back a little forward, open your chest, and tuck your chin in slightly, keeping the head upright, not leaning forward, or backwards, or to the side. Sway your body gently from left to right in decreasing arcs, until you naturally come to a point of stillness on your cushion.
3. Keep your eyes on the floor at a 45-degree angle, neither fully opened nor closed, and gaze naturally about 3 to 4 feet in front of your body. If the eyes are closed, you may want to start to daydream or visualize things. If your eyes are open wide open, your mind will scatter.
4. Keep your lips and teeth together with your tongue resting against the roof of your mouth.
5. Place your hands on your lap with the right palm up and your left hand (palm up) resting on your right hand, thumb tips lightly touching, forming a vertical oval. This is the mudra of zazen, in which all phenomena are unified. Rest this mudra with the blade of your hands against your abdomen, a few inches below the navel, harmonizing your own center of gravity with the mudra.
6. Take a deep breath, exhale fully, and then take another deep breath, exhaling fully. Let your breathe settle into its natural rhythm.
7. Keep your attention on your breath. When your attention wanders, bring it back to the breath again and again — as many times as necessary!
8.. Practice this Zen Meditation every day for at least ten to fifteen minutes (or longer).
-
Silence of the Night – A Meditation Night is tremendously beautiful. It is a good time...
-
Harvest Meditation for the Harvest Moon Please take a seat and clear your mind of what fill...
-
Meditating on Moonbeams Mix your mind with the moonbeams at night. Wash you...
-
Invoke The Healing Power of the Sun This mantra invokes the healing power of the sun. When...
-
Blood Bone and Ancestors Meditation In this exercise you will meditate on your skin, mu...
-
Jurgen Ziewe Talks About Meditation Here is an excerpt from an interview with Jurgen Zi...
-
Tree of Life Meditation Begin by taking some full, deep breaths. Don't try...
-
Breathe – A Simple Meditation Breath is life and change, a basic connection betwe...
-
Remembering Who You Are Sit in an upright position in a chair, with your ba...
-
Warrior Meditation At Lughnasadh (August 1st), the harvest is kicking in...