Within Sōtō Zen, distractions during shikantaza are not treated as intruders to be expelled, but as part of the very field of awareness in which “just sitting” unfolds. The emphasis falls first on a stable, upright posture—spine straight, shoulders relaxed, eyes softly open—which naturally supports mental steadiness and alertness. A quiet, simple environment further reduces unnecessary stimulation, allowing the body‑mind to settle into the act of sitting itself. In this way, the physical posture and setting become the foundation for an open, undistracted presence.

When thoughts, emotions, or sensations arise, the key is neither to chase them nor to push them away. Distractions are simply acknowledged—“thinking,” “remembering,” “planning”—without judgment or identification, recognized as passing mental or sensory events rather than as something solid or personal. There is no attempt to blank the mind or to manufacture a special state; both grasping and suppression only entangle awareness more deeply in distraction. Instead, thoughts are allowed to come and go naturally, like movements within a wider, unmoving field of sitting.

Each time attention is carried off into a storyline, the practice is to release it gently and return to immediate experience: the upright posture, the natural rhythm of breathing, the sensation of the body sitting, the sounds and sights of the present moment. This “return” is soft and unforced, free of self‑criticism or evaluation of the session as “good” or “bad.” Distractions gradually lose their force when they are seen in this way—as transient phenomena within a spacious, non‑grasping awareness—rather than as problems to be solved.

Over time, regular and consistent sitting allows the mind to settle and the grip of distraction to weaken, not through heroic effort, but through simple continuity. The heart of shikantaza lies in this continuous, patient returning: sitting with complete acceptance of whatever arises, while maintaining an upright, alert presence. In such practice, what might be called “overcoming” distraction is nothing other than repeatedly recognizing it, letting it go, and resting again in the immediacy of just sitting.