Breath Meditation

[seeker]

Watching the breath

This practice of meditation is found in all schools of Buddhism. It is to rest your attention, lightly and mindfully, on the breath.

Breath is life, the basic and most fundamental expression of our life. In Judaism rush, "breath" means the spirit of God that infuses the creation; in Christianity also there is a profound link between the Holy Spirit, without which nothing could have life, and the breath. In the teaching of the Buddha, the breath is said to be the "vehicle of the mind" because it is the breath that makes our mind move. So when you calm the mind by working skillfully with the breath, you are simultaneously and automatically taming and training the mind.

So when you meditate, breathe naturally, just as you always do. Focus your awareness lightly on the out-breath. When you breathe out, just flow out with the out-breath. Each time you breathe out, you are letting go and releasing all your grasping. Imagine your breath dissolving into the all pervading expanse of truth. Each time you breathe out and before you breathe in again, you will find that there will be a natural gap, as the grasping dissolves.

Rest in that gap, in that open space. And when, naturally, you breathe in, don't focus especially on the in-breath but go on resting your mind in the gap that has opened up.

When you are practicing, it's important not to get involved in mental commentary, analysis, or internal gossip. Do not mistake the running commentary in your mind for mindfulness; what is important is pure presence.

Don't concentrate too much on the breath. What is very important is NOT to fixate while practicing the concentration of calm abiding. That's why they recommend you place 25% of your attention on mindfulness of the breath. But then, as you will discover, mindfulness alone is not enough. While you are supposed to be watching the breath, after only one or two minutes you can find yourself playing in a football game or starring in your own film. So another 25% should be devoted to a continuous and watchful awareness, one that overseers and checks whether you are still mindful of the breath. The remaining 50% of your attention is left abiding, spaciously.

As you become more mindful of your breathing, you will find that you become more and more present, gather all your scattered aspects back into yourself and become whole.

Rather than "watching" the breath, let yourself gradually identify with it, as If you were becoming it. Slowly the breath, the breather, and the breathing become one; duality and separation dissolve.

You will find that this very simple process of mindfulness filters your thoughts and emotions. Then, as if you were shedding an old skin, something is peeled off and freed.[/b]

[sunlight]

Thank you for this.

I had to read it very slowly in order to do it.
Much easier said than done. And very effective when done.

They always told me when I was newly sober & constantly pressing the panic button, "Don't forget to breathe."I was hyperventilating.
Slowing the breath invites serenity.

[nsgfh]

When I did breath meditation before,I remember my breath was extremly deep and long.At the same time the attention traveled automatically up on the in breath and down on the outbreath.It was like a kind of spinal breathing.It felt good and it was also opening up the nervous system.my breath meditation was to keep attention at the breath process(not trying to feel the air in and out of the body) and at the same time relaxing the mind as much as possible(that cause deeper breathing ime.
just cueious if anybody else notice that attention moves up and down?

I dont think it will if you focus on the nostrils,but if the attention is on the whole breath process and not locked at some point(dan tien ,nostrils ...) it automatically follow up and down in the middle of the body I belive.Any thoughts? Christi,Sparkle maybe since you have lots of experience on this,or anybody else of course
I was thinking,maybe it was the prana or chi that moved up and down on in and out breath and that got my attention.Anyway the results the same pleasant and opening of the nervous system

[Zyvie]

Breathing meditation is one of the most of the simplest and most relaxing of the different types of meditation you can do. It is popular with many newcomers to meditation because it is easy to learn and very effective at eliminating stress and anxiety. And most of the time, breathing is something you do involuntarily.

[Dallas]

Yes. It was for me and it still is.