Zazen, or seated meditation, is the heart of Zen practice. Inherited from Chinese Chan Buddhism, then refined in Japan by masters such as Dōgen, it invites us to plunge into the present moment through an immobile posture and deep breathing.
Sitting in a lotus or half-lotus position, back straight, gaze forward without focusing on any object, the practitioner allows thoughts to arise and disappear, without becoming attached to them. In this inner silence, the mind calms down and the experience of the here and now is revealed, without goal or expectation.
To practice zazen is to learn to be, to welcome emptiness and to perceive reality as it is, beyond the illusions of the ego. It's a path of simplicity, discipline and liberation, where each breath becomes a step towards awakening.