Welcome to this mindfulness of breath practice.
It's based on Buddha's guidance in the Satipatthana Sutta.
So we start this practice.
Finding somewhere quiet.
And we take our seat.
So this can be any posture where we can be receptive,
Open and present.
So seeing if we can cultivate this sense of awareness without straining or forcing anything.
It's more of a soft alertness.
So taking a moment,
Whatever your posture,
Just to check if you're holding any tension.
If there's any sense of strain,
Well,
You could simply soften and let go a little.
So the first part of the guidance in the Sutta says that we establish mindfulness in front of ourselves.
So we do this in two ways.
And the first is just by setting our intention for the practice.
So we may have an intention that supports the whole of our meditation practice we want to tune into.
Maybe a clearing of our mind,
An opening of our heart.
So we can be present for ourselves or others.
And then tuning in to the intention for this specific practice as well.
Which is simply to be present with our breath.
And bring our mind back.
Whenever it wanders.
The next step in establishing mindfulness is placing our attention on the breath.
And this can be in the front of us,
As the sutra suggests,
In the nostrils,
In the chest or the belly.
Or it can be anywhere that you find the strongest connection to your breath.
So just take here a moment.
And finding that spot where you have the strongest,
Most vivid connection to the breath in this moment.
And allowing your awareness to rest there.
So the next part of the guidance is just about.
.
.
How we all with the breath.
Aware that we're breathing in.
Aware that we're breathing out.
If we breathe in a long breath.
Being aware we're breathing in a long breath.
If we breathe out a long breath.
Aware we're breathing out a long breath.
If we breathe in a short breath.
Aware we're breathing in a short breath.
And if we breathe out a short breath.
Aware we're breathing out a short breath.
So it's not about changing anything.
Or needing our breath to be a particular way.
It's simply being present,
This soft awareness.
And noticing the breath flowing in and out of the body.
And if at any time you notice the mind has wandered away from the breath.
Maybe there's some problem.
Some worry,
Some dream.
We'll do some random thoughts.
So whenever you notice this.
That same soft,
Gentle awareness.
Coming patiently back to the breath.
And placing the awareness there once more.
So that once more we know we're breathing in.
Or breathing out.
If it's a long breath.
Or if it's a short breath.
Simply noticing.
In the next part of the Sutta,
Buddha suggests,
Breathing in,
I'm aware of my whole body.
Breathing out.
I am aware of my whole body.
We can interpret this in different ways,
So maybe checking what it is you need in this moment.
If your mind's sleepy and you noticed it drifting off.
Then maybe having a tighter focus and putting your attention on the body of breath.
So watching the whole body of each breath from the moment it arises.
All the way through the middle until the very end.
Of each breath,
Doing this for inhalation and exhalation.
Following the whole body.
Of each breath in and out.
And if you notice that maybe your mind was very restless,
Or you're able to stay present very easily,
Then you might want to place your attention on how the breath feels in the whole of the physical body.
It's more calm,
Composed attention.
Really feeling the breath in the whole of the physical body,
If that feels right for you.
And it might not be one thing or the other.
Maybe that at times you need a tighter focus,
Watching the breath all the way through from start to end.
If you notice that it's getting a little bit too tight,
Too stray And you might want to ease off.
Feeling the breath in the body.
Conversely,
A feeling in the breath,
In the body.
Is moving you towards sleepiness,
Drowsiness.
Then you might want to focus more on watching the duration,
The whole body of breath,
From start to end.
Buddha continues breathing in.
I calm my body.
Breathing out.
I calm my body.
So once more there could be different ways to follow this guidance.
If you notice that your body is calming naturally through the practice,
Through the following of the breath.
And you can just notice this happening as you breathe in.
And as you breathe out.
Noticing this ease,
This calming.
How it feels in the body.
Or if your body's feeling quite tense and tight,
You might want to explore a more active process.
Actually directing the breath into those parts of the body that are tense and tight.
And breathing in calmness.
And breathing it out.
So again,
Just checking what feels right for you in this moment.
And working with that,
Keeping this soft awareness,
Not forcing anything,
Just being present with the practice,
With the breath.
And then for the final part of the practice,
We shift our awareness a little from the content of the breath onto its nature.
It's impermanence,
It's ebb and flow.
So here the Buddha suggests contemplating the nature of the breath arising Contemplating the nature of the breath passing away.
And contemplating the nature of the breath arising and passing away in the body.
So we simply notice this pattern of the breath.
To come and go.
Inhalation,
It's exhalation.
Noticing that it can't be any other way.
Constantly changing,
Constantly shifting.
Inhalation,
Exhalation.
Inhalation.
Exhalation.
You're just noticing this.
Even if we can't find the exact moment when it shifts from inhalation to exhalation and vice versa,
Simply being aware that this is the nature of the breath,
To come and go,
To ebb and flow.
And maybe being curious what we notice more,
The arising or the passing away.
Maybe they have different textures.
Maybe there's one we like or dislike more than the other.
Just being curious what you notice as you watch the breath coming.
And going arising.
And passing away.
And working with the breath like this gives us this direct experience of the impermanence of life.
The nature of change.
Giving us a chance to really feel it.
Moment by moment in our body.
Not trying to hold our breath,
Not making it any particular way,
Just letting this change come and go on its own.
After sensing this experience of impermanence of the breath starting to bring yourself back.
Just sensing into the body,
How it's supported by the ground.
Maybe taking a deeper breath or two.
Or starting to make gentle movement with your body as you need.
This practice.
Is now complete
