A practical way to begin is to establish a simple daily period of sitting meditation, even if it is only 5–10 minutes at first. Choosing a quiet, dedicated space and returning to it at the same time each day helps the body and mind recognize that this is a time for stillness. One may sit on a cushion or on a chair with the spine upright, hands resting in the lap with thumbs lightly touching, and the chin slightly tucked. The eyes can remain half-open, softly resting on a point on the floor or on the wall in front, which minimizes distraction without shutting out the world. Breathing is allowed to remain natural, and attention gently settles on the rise and fall of the breath in the abdomen or on the sensation of air at the nostrils. When thoughts or emotions appear, they are noticed without judgment and the attention is quietly returned to posture and breath, again and again.

Over time, this simple sitting can be supported by a few basic methods. Some find it helpful to count exhalations from one to ten and then begin again, using the counting as a light structure that reveals how often the mind wanders. Others simply follow the breath without counting, or rest in “just sitting,” allowing experience to arise and pass without choosing a particular object of focus. The emphasis is on consistency rather than intensity: brief daily practice is more beneficial than occasional long sessions pursued with strain. An attitude of non-striving is central here; the sitting is not a technique to acquire special states, but an expression of being fully present with whatever is occurring. When restlessness, boredom, or agitation arise, they are treated with kindness rather than condemnation, and the practitioner simply returns to the immediacy of breathing and sitting.

As this foundation stabilizes, the same quality of awareness can gradually permeate ordinary activities. Simple actions such as walking, eating, making tea, washing dishes, or working can be approached as occasions for mindfulness, performed a little more slowly and with full attention to bodily sensations, sounds, and movements. Walking may become a quiet meditation of deliberate steps; eating may be done with full attention to taste, texture, and chewing; listening to another person may be offered as complete, undivided presence. Short pauses for a few conscious breaths before speaking, beginning a task, or responding to strong emotion help to weave meditative awareness into the fabric of the day. In this way, formal sitting and everyday life are not two separate realms, but mutually reinforcing aspects of a single, continuous practice.

For those who feel drawn to deepen this path, support from a community or teacher can be valuable. Attending introductory sittings at a Zen center or joining an online community offers guidance on posture, breathing, and the subtle attitudes of mind that sustain practice. Occasional half-day or day-long periods of more intensive sitting can further clarify the taste of stillness and presence discovered in daily sessions. Throughout, the spirit of “beginner’s mind” remains essential: each breath, each step, each ordinary task is approached as if for the first time, without clinging to past experiences or expectations of future attainment. Over months and years, this steady, gentle discipline allows meditation to become less a special activity and more the natural way of inhabiting each moment.