Doing Zen

In the Inner Sanctuary, we practice sonomama meditation, rooted in Zen, to cultivate the capacity to be with things just as they are. But this practice doesn’t end on the cushion—it continues moment by moment, throughout the day.

Zazen (sitting meditation) is a central form of Zen practice. At the same time, Zen is grounded in reality and can be practiced 24 hours a day. One simple way to embody as-it-is-ness in daily life is through doing.

Do what is in front of you now.

Start by giving full care to what you are doing in this very moment. When unrelated thoughts arise, let them be, and gently return to the task at hand. Keep your attention grounded in the action itself, letting go of anything that does not belong to now.

Don’t wash the dishes to get away from your thoughts—wash the dishes to wash the dishes. Be present with the water, the movement, the sound. If task-related thoughts arise, that’s okay. Let them pass. Stay with what is directly in front of you, without adding, without resisting.

When brushing your teeth, become brushing your teeth. When pulling weeds, become pulling weeds.

Let the mind be as it is. Don’t interfere. Simply do what needs to be done—now.

Zen practice is not limited to sitting. It is a 24-hour invitation to be with what is, because all there is… is the way it is now.

At Heather lake

Writing and Photography by K E I K O