A short introduction to Zen:

Zen is debatable to be either a philosophy or religion, but it is most referred to as a state of enlightenment
induced by meditation. Zen originates from the bloodline of Indian Buddhism and was originally founded in China by an Indian Buddhist monk and Prince
known as Bodhidarma.

A school of Mahayana Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion and that is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Also called Zen Buddhism.

Zen Meditation Techniques-

Zazen- Zazan is the most popular meditation technique used by Buddhists around the world. Zazen is
translated from Japanese into the phrase "seated concentration". The aim of Zazen is to cease all disruption in the mind and to bring calm and peace to the body.

Zazen seating positions:

Lotus: Sitting cross legged, the person rests each ankle on the opposite thigh.
Half Lotus: The person has one ankle is on the opposite thigh, and the other ankle tucked under the leg. This position may cause strain on the upper back due to the slight crookedness, so be weary.
Burmese: The person sits cross legged with their feet under each thigh. The knees should be flat on the floor. If your knees cannot sit comfortably on the floor, daily stretching exercises should be performed to increase your flexibility and relax your muscles.
Seiza: The person sits with their knees on the floor, resting their bottom on the backs of their ankles. The person may use a pillow to lesson the pressure, or even a seiza bench. A seiza bench is a small stool that absorbs all the pressure of the person's weight, and helps keep the spine upright.
Chair: The person may sit in a chair with their feet resting completely on the floor. Keep the spine straight, allow the natural curve at the base of the spine to rest comfortably.

Zazen meditation:

Choose your seated position. Place your hands in the cosmic Mudra. Pay close attention to your hara as you breathe deeply, try bring your focus completely to it.
As you breathe in, start counting your breaths from one to ten. After ten, start counting back to one. If your mind gets sidetracked by a random thought, start from the number one again and resume meditation as quickly as your recognize the foreign thought.
After you have quieted the mind, you will feel the peace. The stillness, the lack of anxiety, that meditation has to offer.

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