Zazen (Breath Counting) Meditation

A short Zazen (breath counting) seated meditation practice, perfect for beginners or those looking for a simple, quick but effective way to find settle the nervous system and find stillness and ease. A Zazen practice reminds us of the beautiful unity of body, mind and breath.

Transcript

Hello,

It's Penn here.

Thank you for joining me for this Zazen meditation practice.

It's a beautifully simple practice if you're new to meditation,

Or equally a lovely short practice if you've got limited time.

Zazen is a seated meditation practice and part of the Zen Buddhist tradition.

The meditation involves breath awareness,

Allowing us to experience the inseparability of body,

Breath and mind.

Start by finding a comfortable position to either sit or kneel,

One where you feel stable,

Relaxed and yet alert.

Bring your hands to rest on your knees or place them in your lap,

Resting one palm over the other and allowing the tips of the thumbs to barely touch.

Be kind to yourself as you practice today.

Your mind will undoubtedly wander.

Whenever you catch yourself drifting away from the practice or being distracted by noises,

Sensations or thoughts,

Simply gently bring yourself back to your breath.

Allow your eyes to softly close or bring your gaze downwards to your lap or the floor in front of you.

Take a few long,

Slow,

Deep breaths,

Breathing in and out through the nose.

Find a softness in your body.

Allow your breath to settle back to normal and give your attention to completely experiencing the breath.

Be here now with a simple sensation of breathing.

In a Zazen practice,

We help steady and stabilize our awareness by silently counting our breath.

We count each inhalation and each exhalation,

Beginning with one and counting up to ten.

Inhale,

Count one,

Exhale,

Count two,

Continue until you get to ten and then start again at one.

Let your attention be deep within your breath,

Using the counting to stay focused and don't worry if you never seem to make it till ten.

Every time you've caught yourself drifting off into thought,

Simply start again at one.

Recognizing that you've drifted away from the practice and bringing your attention back to your breath is at the heart of the meditation.

I'll keep a track of the time for the next seven or eight minutes and will sound a chime as the practice draws to a close.

When you hear the chime,

You can stop counting but remain still with your eyes closed for a few final moments.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Let your attention be deep within your breath.

Reviews

Short & sweet with clear guidance I will look for a longer version 🫶🏻

Really enjoyed this meditation, a great start to my day. Thank you 🙏🏼

Lovely, thank you!

Perfect! 🤩

Simple and beautiful breath counting meditation

Thank you!

Just what I needed! Thank you.

Thank you. I like the sweet cacophony of windchims to finish.

Very simple and easy Zazen. The perfect amount of instruction.

Pen has a beautiful voice. This is a helpful practice for beginners. I found it easier to focus and Pen’s guidance was helpful.

Perfect meditation for someone with limited time! Thank you!