Posture, Hands and Head in Zazen - Dharma Rain Zen Center
Zazen
Posture > Hands and Head
Like all elements of the postures, the position of the hands is a tool,
reflecting the state of one’s mind. Maintaining a hand position requires
subtle, continuous effort. If our attention fades, the hands slump and drift
apart; if we get distracted or tense, we may find we are pressing our thumbs
tightly together.
Noticing the degree of energy in the thumbs can be a signal
for regulating the effort of the mind. Steady, gentle pressure, with both
the thumbs and the will, is most conducive to meditation. This degree of
attention and energy applies to the entire posture — closing but not clenching
the jaw, lifting but not forcing the head up, straightening but not straining
the spine.

The most common hand position in Soto Zen is called the “concentration
mudra.” Put your hands together in front of you. Your forearms may
rest on your thighs (or feet, if you are in full lotus), or you may hold
them against your body. The hands should be held close to your lower abdomen
in a manner that doesn’t tense the shoulders or upper back. The palms
are up, fingers are parallel, and the left-hand fingers are on top of, and
directly over, the corresponding right-hand fingers. The thumbs lightly touch,
forming a bridge over your fingers. This position represents a union of all
opposites, with the left and right hands coming together to form an oval.
Keep your head upright, with your ears directly over the shoulders, and
your chin tucked in, thus elongating the neck. This will rotate the
face slightly
down, but keep the head upright, not leaning forward. The lips and
teeth stay closed, with the tongue pressed lightly against the roof of the
mouth behind the front teeth. Your eyes should remain slightly open,
but don’t
need to be focused. Gaze toward the floor at about a 45-degree angle.
The eyes are not looking down so much as inward, and keeping them partially
open
anchors one in the present, preventing the tendency to get lost in
thoughts, drowsiness or trance states.
Zazen is not about shutting
off from sensations
and phenomena. It is about our direct experience of the world and
mind, taking refuge in a deep, thorough absorption in the present moment.
Keeping the
eyes open is more conducive to this than meditating with your eyes
closed.
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