Concentration Meditation - Samatha (Tranquility) - Foundational Meditations

Develop your concentration, focus, single-pointedness in this guided practice - one of the most fundamental meditation techniques. Known as Samatha ("Tranquility") in the Buddhist tradition - this guided practice brings attention to a single point to help you refine your present moment awareness. This meditation is paired with another foundational meditation practice (Vipassana) and an accompanying lecture series called the "Meditation and The Path".

Transcript

This is a 15 minute meditation practice for developing concentration.

The object of the meditation is to develop the sharpness of your focus of attention.

Sitting upright,

Begin to focus on your breath at the tip of your nose,

Where it enters and exits the nostrils.

Watching the breath in and watching the breath out.

Bring all of your attention to this point and to this process.

If you find that your attention wanders elsewhere or gets lost in thought,

Simply return to focusing your attention at the tip of the nose,

Watching the in-breath and the out-breath.

If you notice there is tension in the physical body,

In the tissue,

Try and release and relax the body a bit.

But bring all of your attention to the in-breath and the out-breath,

Simply observing,

Simply focusing.

And bring all of your attention to the out-breath and the out-breath.

Notice your mind is distracted.

Come back to watching the breath.

Noticing the inhale and the exhale.

Try and bring all of your attention into this simple process.

And as you start breathing or breath without really noticing it,

You exist,

Without foundation within your body.

We are five minutes into a 15 minute concentration meditation.

If you are finding yourself in any discursive thinking,

Bring your attention back to watching the breath at the tip of the nose.

Noticing the inhale,

Potentially noticing the space between the inhale and the exhale.

Noticing the exhale and noticing that space.

If tension has arisen in the body,

Release it again and come back to focusing your attention.

Just as the tension in the body is a distraction,

Tension in the mind is also a distraction.

So see if you can find that sweet spot with your attention where you don't strain or clamp down with the mind in the process of focusing and developing concentration.

Skillfully and softly place your attention at the tip of the nose,

At the nostrils and watch the breath.

Notice the changing qualities of the breath.

See if you can find that sweet spot with your attention.

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Reviews

Very good guidance, thank you - this I need to practice more, vipassana is easier for me as in movement-breath, meditation as I do in silence and alone in my yoga practice ☺️🙏

It’s simple yet challenging. I’m enjoying practicing this often. Many thanks 🙏

Simple and effective. I like the 5 minute bells.

really enjoyed that. many thanks

Excellent meditation. I like the fact that the meditation was not continuously guided but left the mediator on his own.