Zazen Meditation for Anxiety: Your Evening Peace Guide

It’s 8 PM, and your mind is still racing from the day’s challenges. The familiar knot in your stomach tightens as you replay conversations, worry about tomorrow’s meetings, or simply can’t shake that underlying sense of unease. Sound familiar? Enter Zazen meditation – a simple yet powerful sitting meditation technique that has been helping people find inner calm for over 1,500 years. Zazen, literally meaning “sitting meditation” in Japanese, is the cornerstone of Zen Buddhism. The beauty of Zazen lies in its simplicity – you sit with good posture, allow thoughts to come and go without judgment, and simply observe your present moment experience. Scientific research shows regular practice can reduce cortisol levels by up to 23%, improve emotional regulation, enhance present-moment awareness, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and build resilience over time. To practice: Find a quiet space, sit with straight spine, rest hands in cosmic mudra, keep eyes slightly open, and simply observe thoughts without judgment for 5-10 minutes. The key is consistency rather than duration – even short daily sessions can provide significant anxiety relief.