Breath As The Bridge: Samadhi Part 1

Part 1 in the Samadhi guided meditation series, focuses on using the breath as a bridge from gross physical reality to the most subtle aspect of yourself. Lose yourself in a space of truth and reassurance. Let your mind become clear as you focus on your breathing and in doing so, ground yourself to the present. Note: For a fuller experience, listen to the separate introduction track by Daniel Schmidt, before doing this meditation.

Transcript

Start with a calm and peaceful mind,

Relaxing deeply yet being completely alert and present.

Your outer posture should remain strong but not rigid,

Relaxed but not slumping.

Observe the natural breath.

During this meditation,

Do not try to change or manipulate the breath in any way.

You're simply observing this one thing that's already happening.

Breath is happening,

You are just noticing it,

Cultivating the skills of concentration and allowing.

As you observe the breath,

Don't be surprised or frustrated when your mind wanders.

As soon as you notice the mind has wandered,

Bring it back to the breath.

Remain relaxed.

The mind will wander and you will bring it back to the breath.

This is the meditation.

Relax.

Sometimes you might get lost in thoughts for a while.

The practice is to become disinterested in any thought.

Planning,

Remembering,

Worrying,

Fantasizing,

Regardless of what type of thought comes up,

Just let it go without judgment.

You may experience thoughts that are judging your meditation or judging your present experience as being good or bad.

Just let them go.

As you sit for a period of time,

Hindrances will arise.

Hindrances can come in the form of sleepiness or restlessness,

Maybe boredom or pain and discomfort in the body.

When attention is diverted to any particular phenomena,

The practice is to be equanimous with what is.

Simply let it be as it is and return to the breath.

Sometimes if pain becomes too great,

It may be necessary to adjust your position,

But with practice your capacity to work with the hindrances will develop.

You may notice that moving away from your pain sometimes makes it come back even stronger.

Allowing pain to be as it is,

Opening to it fully,

Lets it arise,

Express itself and pass away.

Paradoxically,

The way out of pain is to go into it and experience it fully.

Another form of hindrance is wanting or expecting something to happen.

Sometimes blissful feelings will arise and the mind will try to cling to these experiences or recreate them.

The same thing that applies to unpleasant sensations applies to pleasant sensations.

Allow them to be as they are,

Relaxing into the moment and always bringing focus back to the breath.

Do not look left or right,

Only see your meditation object,

The breath.

Observe the pulsation of the breath,

The in and the out,

Expansion and contraction.

Be sharp,

Lucid,

Present.

Simply abide with the natural breath.

The mind may want to do something more interesting.

Don't let it become dull and repetitive.

Feel the aliveness of the breath,

Go into it.

Be sharp,

Lucid,

Present.

Simply abide with the natural breath.

The mind may want to do something more interesting.

Don't let it become dull and repetitive.

Don't let it become dull and repetitive.

Feel the aliveness of the breath,

Go into it.

You you notice every sensation connected to the breath from gross sensations to the most subtle.

When you observe the breath,

Maybe you will notice more air going in one nostril than another.

Maybe there's a tightness somewhere in the body constricting the breath.

Maybe in the Hara area,

The center located approximately two inches below the navel or in the heart area or in the throat or any part of the body.

Simply notice and allow it to be as it is.

You you notice how the stomach rises and falls is it deep or shallow is it changing in quality is it sometimes deep or sometimes shallow is it smooth and fluid or is it choppy it doesn't matter what you find just notice don't try to manipulate the breath you Is the air going in the nostrils cooler than the air going out?

Can you feel the pulse of the breath like waves rising and falling on the ocean?

Is the air going in the nostrils cooler than the air going out?

Is the air going in the nostrils cooler than the air going out?

Let the breath be free.

Let it change,

Grow and evolve if it wants to.

Let it become subtle or disappear completely if it wants to.

Don't miss the changes.

Notice them,

No matter how subtle.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Continue observing patiently,

Persistently.

It may take some time and practice to be able to stay with the breath without the mind wandering.

Notice the changes.

In deep meditation,

The flow of concentration is continuous,

Like the flow of oil being poured in a continuous stream.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Egoic thoughts are interruptions in the flow of concentration towards the breath.

Don't push away these thoughts.

Don't repress them,

Or they will just come back in a different form.

But at the same time,

Don't become interested in the thoughts.

Otherwise,

You'll soon be daydreaming.

The middle way is neither pushing away nor grasping.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Just observe the breath,

And the thoughts will settle down on their own.

They will lose power.

The patterns of thinking will gradually lose energy when you don't feed them your consciousness.

Don't feed the mind.

You are using concentration on the breath to divert the energy away from the mind patterns.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

The breath can move unconsciously when it's not observed,

Or it can move consciously.

Notice if the breath changes when you put your attention on it.

Notice any subtle change when you bring consciousness to your breath.

Conscious breath is pranic breath.

It is alive breath.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

It is the alchemy that transmutes the duality of your pain and pleasure into samadhi.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Always be surrendering.

Always be present.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Let the breath anchor you in the now.

Let the breath ground you.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

If you want to gain mastery over the mind,

Master the breath.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

There is only one breath,

The breath that happens now.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

Notice the changes.

The breath is profound,

Mysterious,

But we take it for granted.

We don't really inhabit the breath,

We don't really feel the breath.

Most things we perceive only our thoughts about it,

Not the breath itself.

You You You You You You Concentration.

Concentration.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

Concentration and deep surrender.

You you you you you you you you you you be patient focused remain aware remain equanimous relaxing present you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you

Reviews

This meditation guides me to the essence of my practice.

Very helpful, very soothing. Thank you very much 🙏🏻

I was not able to remain in my meditation poaitition the whole time. But the guidance was really good and not distracting without purpose. I have a lot of work to do before being able to remain focus on this for a whole hour. Definitely, not for beginners, but really well done.

This is not an easy meditation esp for beginners, but the clear instructions are very helpful. They are also placed at just the right points in time when there is risk of being distracted. Thank you and Namaste 🙏🏽😊

It’s great to finally get direction with my kundalini awakening. thank you for putting out meditations that help me focus my mind whilst being able to accept my body & thoughts together 💗🙏🏻

Amazing Amazing Amazing!
No words can describe the return to wholeness!
Thank you Thank you Thanks you!

Excellent. Voice is a bit robotic at times but instructions were very helpful.

Very difficult to maintain concentration for the full hour, but aptly guided.

Perfection. So deeply aware human being. I feel gratitude for your teachings and guidance. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

The best meditation I have ever done.
So grateful right now.

This is by far the best guided meditation I've ever come across. Simple, straightforward, no BS. Thank you for this.

Can’t believe that Daniel is here. Just phenomenal 🙇‍♂️

I loved it. This will be my practice for a few months. Thank you!

The most inspiring words that ever touched my heart

Amazing guidance. Thank you

I love returning to this, thank you Daniel and fellow meditators 🙏🏼

Wonderful. Daniel is one of the very few genuine teachers of real meditation here on Insight Timer. Forget all wannabe story tellers that send you to sleep. Listen to this guy and wake up to your true self. Recommended.

Concentration and relaxation harmonizing as one. Thank you

Powerful and blissful guidance. Thank you 🙏

Wonderful guidance...Thankyou Daniel..🙏