Why sit
Daoist quiet sitting is not a technique for getting something. It is a way of letting the mind settle the way muddy water settles — by being left alone, not by being stirred.
The posture
Sit on a firm chair or a cushion. Feet flat, knees slightly lower than the hips. Spine upright but not rigid — imagine a thread lifting the crown of the head. Hands rest in the lap. Tongue lightly touching the upper palate. Eyes closed or half open, gaze downward.
The method
Breathe in through the nose, out through the nose. Do not deepen it. Let the breath be ordinary; simply notice where you feel it — under the nostrils, in the belly.
When a thought arrives, do not push it away. Label it quietly: "thinking". Then return to the breath. That return is the entire practice. You may return a thousand times in fifteen minutes; each return counts.
How long
Start with five minutes once a day, at the same time. Add two minutes a week until you reach fifteen. Consistency beats duration — a daily five will change more than a heroic forty on Sunday.
A note
If sitting brings up restlessness or old grief, that is not failure. It is the water beginning to clear. Shorten the session and stay.