The Soft Butter Method

Where it comes from

Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769) is one of the most important figures in Japanese Zen. As a young monk he drove himself so hard that he fell ill with what he called "Zen sickness": exhaustion, a burning head, cold limbs and constant anxiety.

In his book Idle Talk on a Night Boat (Yasenkanna), published in 1757, Hakuin tells how he climbed into the mountains near Kyoto to find a hermit named Hakuyu, who taught him two practices to restore his health. One was breathing deep into the belly. The other was this visualization of soft, fragrant butter placed on the crown of the head, melting and flowing slowly down through the whole body.

Hakuin credited the method with his recovery and taught it to his own students for the rest of his life. It remains one of the gentlest and most practical exercises in the Zen tradition, and it works well for relaxation and before sleep.

How to practice

1. Sit comfortably or lie down. Let your eyes close and take a few slow breaths into your belly.
2. Imagine a lump of soft, warm butter, about the size of a duck's egg, resting on the top of your head. Imagine it is fragrant and pure.
3. Feel it begin to melt in the warmth of your body. It seeps slowly into your scalp and starts to flow down.
4. Let it flow over your forehead, eyes and face, then down the back of your head, your neck and shoulders. Wherever it passes, tension softens.
5. Let it continue through your chest, your arms and hands, your back and belly, your hips, your legs and finally your feet.
6. Imagine it pooling around your feet and warming them, like a warm bath that slowly rises around the whole body.
7. Rest in that warmth for a few minutes. If your attention drifts, return to the feeling of warm, melting softness.

Tips

• Go slowly. The point is the gradual, unhurried flow, not reaching the feet quickly.
• You don't need a vivid picture. Imagining the warmth and softness is enough.
• It works especially well lying in bed, as a way to let go of the day.

A note of care

This is a relaxation practice and is not a treatment for any illness. If you are unwell, please see a doctor.