How to Practice Zen Driving

Co-authored by Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Driving can be a stressful experience that makes even a mild-mannered person become impatient, selfish, and discourteous when behind the wheel. Not only is this bad for your mental and emotional health; it can also cause risky driving that endangers you, your passengers, and other drivers. However, by applying the principles of Zen, including greater awareness and focus, you can make driving an enjoyable, relaxing experience — no matter how everyone else is driving.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Calming Yourself

1
Take your time. Do not be in a rush. Be laid back. If you need to be somewhere on time, leave early so you have more than enough time to get there. And if you are running late, don't worry about it. There's really not much you can do about it now, because the traffic, the stop lights, and the laws of the road are still there. So relax.^{[1]
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- Drive as if you have all the time in the world. If you are late, at least you will have had a lovely ride.
2
Turn off the radio and other distracting noises. Instead, try listening to the sounds of your car — the engine, the way the tires sound on the road. Listen to your breathing and your heartbeat. This is an excellent time to learn to enjoy (relative) silence, since in our noisy world it can be hard to find.^{[2]
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- Think about why you listen to talk radio or classic rock in the first place. It's probably because it helps distract you from what you're doing, and makes the drive more tolerable. But what's so terrible about what you're doing, that you have to pay attention to something else?
- This type of listening might even make you better at detecting problems with your car before they become expensive to fix!
Feel your belly rise and fall (against the seat belt, of course) with every breath. Count each inhalation and each exhalation, until you get to ten. Start back at one again. This is at the core of Zazen (Zen meditation) and will help keep you calm.^{[3]
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4
Loosen up. Look at your hands on the steering wheel. Are you clenching them? Let go of excess tension. You only need just enough grip to control the wheel — no more, no less.^{[4]
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- Then direct your attention to your stomach. Is it tense? Soften your belly, then soften your shoulders and consciously let go of tension anywhere else in your body.
5
Be thankful. Take a moment to appreciate that you're in this incredible machine that was specifically designed to make your trip easy. All you have to do is turn a key, hold a wheel, and press your foot. Be grateful that, right now, your car is actually working, not breaking down.^{[5]
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- Appreciate that not everyone has a car to drive, instead of taking your car for granted, as if it's a right. Be glad that you can drive on paved, safe roads.
- Most importantly, be thankful that, at this moment, you're alive and healthy enough to drive.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Navigating the Road

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Synchronize with the flow of traffic. Traffic moves like a school of fish. The more you try to get ahead of the crowd, the more likely you are to stir up other drivers’ territorial behaviors — and the notice of the “sharks” (the cops with radar guns!).^{[6]
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Berger, K.T. Zen Driving. Ballantine, 1988.
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- Being in sync with the flow doesn't mean you have to be defensive — you can pass and move as needed, controlling your space with awareness and harmony.
- When you sync up, you’ll feel at ease and reach your destination in a better mood — especially since you’ll probably never get a ticket!
- Enjoy the journey as much as you do the destination and "be like water, my friend."
2
Direct your consciousness toward your surroundings. You will be both more aware of the beauty around you and more alert to hazards. This type of awareness is lacking when you’re pushing for speed and/or lost in thought.^{[7]
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Berger, K.T. Zen Driving. Ballantine, 1988. p. 50}
- Pay attention to the cars around you. How are they driving? Is the person in front of you slowing down a little? Is the person behind you in a rush? Does the person on your left seem confused, or lost?
3
Try hypermiling to improve fuel efficiency. This is an excellent opportunity to practice Zen driving, as it is not only gentler on your car, the environment, and your wallet; it also requires great awareness and patience.^{[8]
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- Hypermiling includes strategies like properly maintaining your car and tires, balancing and limiting your loads, coasting (safely) when possible, accelerating gently, and limiting idling.
- Some hypermiling techniques, like drafting behind larger vehicles, can be dangerous and should be avoided.
4
Acknowledge that driving fast does not help that much. On local streets, it is completely futile because everyone stops at the same stop lights — you may gain 30 seconds if you are lucky. If you are driving 20 freeway miles, an average speed of 85 mph (137 km/h) (truly aggressive driving) will get you there a whopping 4.5 minutes faster than driving the speed limit.
- Attempting to weave through stop-and-go traffic may increase your average speed 1 mph (1.6 km/h) if you are lucky. This will get you there a few seconds earlier.
- Is it really worth the risk of tickets and accidents, coupled with the extra effort it takes to dodge and weave through the other cars while keeping a lookout for the cops?^{[9]
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5
Don't let your meditation make you oblivious to your surroundings. If it removes your focus from driving, concentrating on monotonous or repetitive things like road noises or breathing can be dangerous. This is especially risky if you're tired and/or on a long trip. True awareness involves concentration on what is going on both inside and outside your car.^{[10]
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- If you must choose one or the other, maintain focus on potential threats like distracted or impaired drivers, animals, and children, whose unpredictable actions can lead to an accident.
- With time, practice, and patience, you will be able to develop more complete concentration on both your surroundings and yourself.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dealing with Other Drivers

1
Don't follow too closely. Leave about ten car lengths in front of you on the freeway and you will almost never need to hit the brakes. Alternatively, you can count out the time between when the car in front of you passes a lane marker, and when you pass it — three seconds should be the minimum interval.^{[11]
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- The increased risk of accidents is a major reason why “drafting” behind vehicles (while hypermiling) is a bad idea.
2
Avoid or ignore tailgaters. If you're being tailgated, it's best to move to another lane and let them by. If you can’t switch lanes or are on a single lane road, give yourself extra room in front of you to make up for the lack of room behind, then ignore the tailgater. Just imagine that your mirrors are set so that you cannot see them at all.^{[12]
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- Don't completely ignore what's going on behind you, though. Remain aware of your surroundings on all sides; just block out the tailgater.
- Also remember that, although unlikely, the person behind you could be taking someone to the hospital or have another emergency. It's always preferable to let tailgaters through freely. It keeps them off of you, and it helps prevent pent up road rage in others.
3
Respond to road rage with compassion. They're in a rush. They're frantic. You've been there. You know what it's like. You can either increase their suffering, or relieve it. And the best way to relieve it is to get out of their way, as safely and as soon as possible.^{[13]
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- If you respond to them, they will escalate their aggression and you will be in the middle of a stressful conflict.
- Forgive them. And don't let them infect you with their negativity; why let a stranger ruin your ride?
Smile and even wave at other drivers. Let people merge in front of you. If someone is parking, stop and give them room. In general, think of what others could do to make your drive more pleasant, and do those things for them!^{[14]
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