In this practice,
We train our attention so that we can hone the skills of concentration.
In so doing,
We can discern where we'd like to place our attention and avoid unnecessary distractions.
A concentrated mind is a powerful mind.
A dissipated mind is a weak mind.
Come to a comfortable seat or lie down.
Close or lower your eyes.
Become aware of the environment that you're in.
Notice the sounds that you hear around you.
Be aware of sounds far and near.
Withdraw your attention from the outer environment.
Become aware of your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Stay present with your breath.
Everything else,
Label it,
Not breath.
Be aware of the four parts of your breath.
The first part is your inhalation.
The second part is a slight spontaneous pause at the top of the inhale.
The third part is your exhalation.
The fourth part is the pause at the bottom of the exhale.
See if you can identify the inhalation,
The slight pause at the top,
The exhalation,
The slight pause at the bottom.
Everything else,
Label it,
Not breath.
Remain detached,
Centered and calm as you recognize that your thoughts are not breath.
Then let go of the thought and gently return your attention back to your breath.
Try not to let one breath go unnoticed.
Resist the urge to control,
Fix or change your breath.
Let it be its natural rhythm.
Notice when you replay the same narrative over and again.
Let it be its natural rhythm.
When you notice your mind has wandered,
The practice is to just bring it back to your breath again and again,
No matter how many times you need to start over.
Notice how you perceive yourself when you have to start again.
Are you beating yourself up?
Are you kind to yourself?
Be kind as you develop skills of concentration,
As it is a practice to be repeated again until you begin to master the skills of concentration.
Stay present with your breath.
Everything else is not breath.
If you are planning,
Strategizing,
Analyzing,
Label it not breath.
You'll begin to notice that the distractions are both internal from the mind and body or from the outer environment.
When you notice the distractions,
Label them not breath.
Bring your attention back from wherever it is and if it's on your breath,
Well good for you.
And if not,
Know there's always another opportunity for you to begin again and be compassionate with yourself.
Training our attention helps us to stay more present,
Less scattered,
More whole,
Less fragmented.
Bring your attention back to the outer environment.
Notice the sounds around you.
Breathe in comfortably.
Exhale it's over.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
