This classic meditation practice is designed to deepen our force of concentration.
If you consider how scattered,
How distracted and how out of the moment we may ordinarily be,
You can see the benefit of gathering all of that energy,
All of that attention and having a sense of reclaiming it.
Usually we waste this energy by throwing it away into the past or into the future.
We gather all of that attention and energy to become integrated,
To have a centre,
To enable us not to be so fragmented,
So torn apart.
So even though we take a very simple object,
An ordinary object like the feeling of the breath,
This will have the effect of really bringing us to a sense of wholeness,
A sense of empowerment,
A sense of now.
And so we begin by finding a comfortable position.
Back straight,
Hands palms up,
Lightly placed in your lap,
Right hand over left,
With your thumbs lightly touching.
Relax your shoulders down from your ears and take a deep breath in,
Slowly closing down your eyes.
You don't have to feel self-conscious,
You don't have to feel as though you're doing something special or weird,
Just be at ease.
Notice where the feeling of breath is most predominant.
Is it at the nostrils,
The chest or the belly?
Wherever you feel it most,
Rest your attention lightly in just that area.
See if you can feel just one breath from the beginning through the middle and to the end.
If your awareness of the breath is at the nostrils,
You may feel tingling,
Vibration,
Warmth or coolness.
If it is at the belly,
You may feel movement,
Pressure,
Stretching or release.
You don't have to name these sensations but simply feel them.
It's just one breath.
If images or sounds,
Emotions or sensations should arrive and they will.
Please let them flow on by.
Recognize they are there,
Allow them and let them go.
You don't have to follow after them,
You don't have to attack them or engage in them.
You're breathing.
It's just one breath.
It's like seeing a friend in a crowd.
You don't have to shove everyone else aside or make them go away.
But your enthusiasm,
Your interest is going towards your friend.
Well,
There's my friend.
There's the breath.
There's the breath.
When something arises such as sensations,
Emotions or thoughts,
Whatever it may be,
Let it go.
Acknowledge,
Recognize and release.
Bring your attention back to the breath.
If you have to let go and begin a thousand times,
That's fine.
That is the practice.
It's just one breath.
You may notice the rhythm of your breath changing in the course of this meditation.
Just allow it to be however it is.
You may find your attention jump into the past,
Jumping to the future.
You may have judgment,
Speculation.
That's all right.
The practice is simply to acknowledge and gently let go and return to the breath.
You can shepherd your attention back to the feeling of the breath and remember that in letting go of distraction,
The important word to remember is gentleness.
Gently let go.
Gently forgive yourself for having wandered.
Guide yourself with great kindness and allow yourself to begin again.
And now we'll sit with the breath until three bells.
Remember,
Breathe,
Release and breathe.
And now we'll sit with the breath until three bells.
Feeling your breath,
Hear a sound of music.
Now when you feel ready take a deep breath in and send it to your legs and feet.
Wiggle your toes and bring aliveness back into your legs.
Take another breath and send it to your arms and hands,
Chest and belly.
In a final breath send it to your head space and gently open your eyes.
This classic foundational exercise in meditation is focusing on the feeling of the in and out breaths.
The breath is chosen they say for many reasons.
For one thing you don't have to believe in anything in order to feel your breath.
You don't have to call yourself a Buddhist or a Hindu or reject anything else.
If you are breathing you can be meditating.
The breath is very portable.
If we can practice being connected,
Being aware when we are sitting formally,
We can also do it when we are sitting informally.
That means when you are sitting in the doctors waiting room or waiting in a queue anywhere you are breathing you can be meditating.
This system allows us to take the breath and focus on a normal flow.
We don't try to make the breath deeper or different.
We just acknowledge how it is happening and how it is changing.
