Welcome to this meditation on following the breath.
This is a simple practice that will help you to be present,
To let go of attachments and to tune your attention to the subtler realities of life.
The practice is very easy to do.
We begin simply by observing the breath,
The inhalation and the exhalation.
We are not trying to control or change the breathing in any way.
Simply observe it as it is.
If it is deep in this moment,
Let it be deep.
If it is shallow,
Let it be shallow.
If it is passing through the left nostril,
It is passing through the left nostril.
If it is going through the right nostril,
Then it's going through the right nostril.
If it is passing through both the nostrils,
Then that's what it's doing in this moment.
Let it be.
This practice allows us to observe all of life.
Here,
There is you,
Awareness,
Consciousness,
Observing this changing phenomena,
This inhalation and exhalation,
Both of which are coming and going.
They are temporary,
Changing.
Just like the breath is in constant flux,
So is everything else.
Just keep noticing.
And as you continue to practice,
Attune your attention a little more to the details of what is happening.
Notice that the air is slightly colder during the inhale and warmer during the exhale.
If your mind wanders,
Just bring it back.
To the inhalation and the exhalation.
Remain here.
Remain now.
You have taken some time to remember this truth about objective experience that it keeps changing.
Therefore,
There is nothing to hold on to or to resist.
Keep noticing the reality of the breath and experientially understanding that this is true for all objective experience.
Awareness is only ever here now.
To your true self.
Every breath,
Every moment is a new moment.
As such,
You are always present or always at the beginning.
Now,
Once again,
Begin noticing the subtler realities of the breath.
Notice how the air comes in not just from below,
But also from around the nose.
Begin to notice not just the breath but also sensations around the area of the nose and mouth above the upper lip.
Begin noticing where you feel the temperature change of the breath.
And also notice sensations of itching or anything that's changing around this area,
Just below the nose and above the upper lip.
After a few more minutes of fine-tuning your attention to that area,
Focus your entire attention only on the area above the upper lip at the entrance of the nostrils.
Keep noticing the inhale and exhale.
When you are inhaling,
You are aware of the inhale for as long as it is happening.
And as you exhale,
You are aware of the exhalation for its entire duration,
Keeping your focus on this area at the entrance of the nose above the upper lip.
Keep noticing subtle sensations,
The touch of the breath on the skin,
On the entrance of the nose.
By focusing in this way,
You are training your attention to see new details,
New details here of the breath,
But also in your day-to-day life,
Being able to see more,
Hear more,
Experience more through your senses and in general.
This simple practice allows you to embody the non-dual understanding on a deeper level,
Knowing yourself as the awareness that is ever-present,
Always here,
Changeless.
Aware of all changing phenomena,
Like the breath.
And since they are changing,
You can dive into them fully,
Fearlessly,
Embracing everything that happens,
Allowing it,
Accepting it,
Not running away,
And also not clinging,
Not attaching yourself to positive experiences or the parts of life that you enjoy,
Letting them come and go as they do.
This practice is direct and experiential.
Don't let your mind create theories or start wondering about what I am sharing.
Keep your attention on your breath.
When you are inhaling,
Know that you are inhaling.
When you are exhaling,
Be aware that you are exhaling.
And notice the sensations changing on that area,
Above the upper lip,
At the entrance of the nostrils.
By remaining focused in this way,
You are also training your mind to focus better in your day-to-day life.
We are not talking about 50,
70 or 80 percent of your attention on the inhale and exhale.
We are talking about 100 percent,
All of your attention fixed on that small area,
Above the upper lip,
At the entrance of the nose.
At first you may mentally say,
Inhale and exhale,
As you remain aware.
Then let go of the thought,
Of the conceptualization of what is happening and aim to be with the actual experience,
With the sensation of breathing in and breathing out.
If you have been focusing on a rather large area,
One or two centimeters,
Make it smaller.
Make it half a centimeter,
Just above the center of the mouth,
Below the center of the nose.
Half a centimeter or even less.
Continue feeling that area and any subtle sensations that appear there,
That come and go with the breath.
The more you do this practice,
The more you will begin to notice the effects of the inhale and the exhale on the body.
You will notice that with each breath,
You will begin to notice the effects of the inhalation and the exhalation.
You will notice that with each inhale,
It's almost like a subtle body is created,
Because the air goes to all the organs.
So they become more alert,
More alive,
More aware.
And with exhalation,
The subtle body is dissolved again.
And a space is given to this presence,
This awareness that you are,
Because the body is naturally less active for a moment.
As you keep practicing,
The acceptance of your breath as it is,
Will naturally mean that the body relaxes over time.
And the breath becomes deeper,
Slower.
At times even stops completely,
Naturally,
Effortlessly.
Do not try to make any of this happen in your experience.
Keep being with the breath.
Keep noticing the sensations on that small part above the upper lip,
Below the entrance of the nostrils.
Remember the purpose is not to seek for any particular experience,
But rather to let things be exactly as they are.
Thank you for listening and for practicing.
To go deeper into this practice and into these teachings,
Continue to maintain your awareness on your breath throughout your day.
If at times there are overwhelming amounts of thoughts or emotions,
Just take a few deeper breaths to recenter your attention on the breathing,
And slowly return to this practice again.
Remember that everything comes and goes.
Things are constantly changing.
But you,
Awareness,
Are ever-present and unaffected by any experience.
To go even deeper into the practice,
You could create a 10-day retreat for yourself.
You can start by listening to this audio recording.
For three days in a row,
Keeping your awareness,
Your attention on the breath throughout your day,
And then moving on to my other one-hour recording called Continuous Body Scans,
And doing that for seven days in a row.
These two practices will make sure that you remain aware,
Present and equanimous with what is,
No matter what happens throughout your days.
Again,
Thank you for listening.
I wish you a peaceful and happy day ahead.
