Once we are sure about the stability of the posture and the vertical position of the spine, we do gasshô (we put our palms together at the height of the solar plexus), inhale through the nose and bend in gasshô at the same time that we exhale through the mouth.
When inhalling, we turn back to the vertical position and put our hands in the following way: left hand over the right one, palms up.
Thumbs touch each other in a gentle way, making a complete horizontal line. If the posture of our legs is correct, our hands will be on the heels. The muscle tone of our hands is very important. Before immobilizing completely, we inhale deeply through the nose and exhale through the mouth emptying the lungs from foul air. This way of breathing should be repeated two or three times. After that, we immobilise completely and breath through the nose, silently and with care.
Text taken from the book “¿Qué es el Zen? Introducción práctica a la meditación Zen”, by Dokushô Villalba. Ediciones Miraguano, ISBN: 978-84-7813-286-4. All rights reserved.