Zazen Shikantaza Meditation

Shikantaza-style zazen comes from the Soto Zen school in Japan. This is the practice I do most in my day-to-day life — for close to 8 years now. In my view and my experience, it’s a beneficial practice, with no small effect on the mind. I think everyone should try it and see for themselves what this practice stirs up in them.

I learned the method from my teacher, Yuval Ido Tal (his page).

What shikantaza is

“Shikantaza” in Japanese translates roughly to “just sitting.” Unlike other meditations that ask you to focus on an object of concentration — like the breath or a candle — this is a meditation without an object. You let whatever arises arise, without holding onto it and without pushing it aside.

In this kind of sitting, you sit, and try as little as possible to interfere with or control what’s happening inside.

What it actually looks like

The practice begins first with body posture. Usually, in instruction, the focus is first on the sitting posture, and from there attention and control are gradually released, as much as possible.

In my experience, this can be confusing at first — the distinction between when I’m intervening and when I’m not. The more I sat, the more I understood that this confusion, too, is part of the sitting itself.

Worth noting: in monasteries in Japan, this practice is usually not accompanied by ongoing instruction — the practitioner learns on their own, alone, what it looks like and exactly what to do (with the option to ask and consult at the monastery itself when needed).

Recommendations for getting started

Before sitting, it’s worth listening to this episode ↗ — it does a very good job of explaining how to start practicing and what to expect.

Beyond that, a few guided meditations from Yuval that can help early on:

It’s most recommended to start with even just a few minutes a day, and let the sitting time grow slowly. You’re also welcome to reach out to me with questions about sitting and practice habits.