Being Observed By The Breath

Normally in meditation, we observe the breathing, and often it's a struggle for us to sustain our attention, so we frequently bounce back and forth between mindfulness and distraction. But when we imaginatively adopt the perspective that the breathing is observing us — when we experience ourselves as the observed rather than the observer — it can be much easier for us to rest in a mindful, undistracted state.

Transcript

Welcome back to A Year of Buddha's Wisdom.

So just giving ourself time to arrive,

Soft eyes,

Kind eyes,

An open field of inner attention,

Meeting everything with tenderness.

So the mind effortlessly becoming filled with sensations arising from all over the body,

But in particular noticing those sensations that are connected with the breathing.

And as you observe the movements and sensations of the breathing,

Just imagining that the breathing is also observing you.

So just letting yourself be known by this intimate yet mysterious entity within you,

Just allowing yourself to be observed,

To be known as best you can,

Just relaxing into the role of being observed.

Can you enjoy being observed by this intimate presence?

And so for the rest of this period of practice,

Just continuing to be observed by the breathing,

For the next couple of minutes,

Until you hear the bell.

Reviews

A lovely meditation; simple yet effective. Many thanks Bodhi 🙏❤️💫

Thank you 🙏🏻
Another really interesting approach - I found the concept of being observed by the breath surprisingly easy to accept and the practice very calming. It allowed me to just be, as I was able to let go &, in turn, allow the breath to move through and around me, feeling that the breath was imbued with a sense of kindly, gentle & non-judgmental curiosity.

This was an interesting twist and gave me a different perspective on my time on my cushion. Thanks! 🙏💕