Mindfulness of Breathing
The mindfulness of breathing practice as taught here is available as a CD or as an MP3 audio download.
This particular version of the Mindfulness of Breathing is mainly aimed to calm and focus the mind, and is therefore what is known as a samatha (Sanskrit, shamatha), or calming practice rather than a vipassana, or insight, one. The Sanskrit equivalent to the word vipassana is vipashyana and both words mean insight, or truly seeing the nature of reality.
The traditional name for this meditation practice is Anapanasati. This word simply means mindfulness (sati) of breathing (pana) in and out. This is a meditation practice where we use the breath as the object of attention to which we return every time we notice that the mind has wandered.
In a nutshell, this practice works mainly through us withdrawing our attention from distracting thoughts and redirecting our attention to the physical sensations of the breath. By doing so, we are putting less energy into the emotional states of restlessness, anxiety, craving, ill will, etc that drive those thoughts. Over time the mind becomes calmer and our emotional states become more balanced and positive, and our experience becomes more positive.
It’s important to note that the practice involves noticing that the mind has been wandering and bringing it back to the breath. Distractedness is an inevitable part of the process of meditating and not a sign of failure!
This step-by-step tutorial includes a number of guided meditation recordings that will help guide you through the practice. There are also readings for each stage of the practice , dealing with the most common questions and addressing the most common experiences that beginners tend to have.
Although the meditation practice as taught here takes a samatha approach it is easy to bring elements of insight into a samatha practice. Also, some degree of samatha practice is virtually indispensible as a basis for vipassana, or insight, meditation. The mind needs to be somewhat calm in order for us to be able to reflect on the impermanence of our experiences!
There are other traditional forms that are widely practiced, especially in the insight meditation traditions, but I’ve found this one to be particularly suitable for complete beginners. The first two stages especially, which involve counting, are very helpful in stabilizing the mind.
More experienced practitioners can feel free to adapt the practice to their own needs, shortening or even dropping some stages, and extending others.
***
Comments
Comment from Philip Hess
Time: July 24, 2007, 9:22 am
Hello, and thank you for answering my question. Is it a good idea to practice just stage 1 for a few days or weeks, and then add stage two for a time, and continue to add stages gradually, or is it better to start with all four stages in a single sitting immediately?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 24, 2007, 10:48 am
Hi Philip,
There’s a lot of merit in the idea of practicing just the first stage for at least a few days before adding the second.
I think it would be counterproductive to plunge in to doing all four stages, and I wouldn’t advise that.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Joey Krem
Time: June 17, 2008, 10:55 am
dear lovers of mindfulness of breathing!
I practiced meditation in Suan Mok, Thailand, Chaia in 1981 directly under influence of abot Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
He handed me a small booklet and studying this I decided to do the first chapter as long as I do anapanasati right.
Still, 27 years later, 3 of my children educated and grown up, I’m happy in having read only this first chapter!
The right mind comes slowly and I got my entire livetime to practice.
So I’m breathing on whereever I am and whatever I do mindfully to think, speak and do right!
Joey, the ZENbold
Comment from mrsnupcup
Time: June 22, 2008, 9:48 am
hi
not sure if this relevant or not but i v gradually begining to realise that being happy is about the things we all to sadly take for granted……
and especially bein aware of them minute by minute…appreciating my good fortune for my health…spiritual…
emotional…intelectual…mental and finally physical….state of being….
Happiness is something we only truely realise we have when its gone…its discovering that we r happy when we dont
realise we have it…is the key…nothing lasts forever…
I sometimes cry…for no other reason than for my extreme good fortune…in discovering the beautiful sublime simplicity of
meditation…am doin so now…its never ever easy but i always sit with myself…no matter how i feel…
i am would not consider myself a buddhist but i am on the path…and will always remain there no matter my fears self hatred
greed selfishness…lust…is where i am….i will sit and meditate…and b grateful…for myself…and in turn become wherever i
find myself…
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Time: June 22, 2008, 4:12 pm
[...] great site where you can learn more about it is http://www.wildmind.org/mindfulness. I can’t recommend it, and the practice of mindfulness enough. It teaches you to let go and [...]
Comment from Kumar
Time: August 27, 2008, 4:34 pm
Hi,
Thank you for a wonderful site. I’m really looking forward to bringing meditation into my life!
I’ve been reading all the sections on the mindfulness of breathing but didn’t come across anything that said whether you should breathe through your nose/mouth for inhaling/exhaling. Is this not important, but if so do you have a preference? Also, i’ve heard that when you breathe during meditation, you shouldn’t pause between inhaling and exhaling. Is this important?
Thanks so much
Kumar
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 27, 2008, 7:34 pm
Hi Kumar,
Thanks for your kind comments. I added a little more text to this page, covering the questions you raised. Thanks for your excellent questions.
Comment from Greg
Time: September 23, 2008, 12:49 pm
Thank you for these wonderful lessons. I’m a heart patient and I’ve been learning samatha through this site. I’ve been able to lower my heart rhythm and blood pressure significantly with your program, as well as increasing my feelings of loving kindness to those around me.
Although having been an athlete my entire life, now, due to poor circulation and weakness, I have difficulty exercising and can never go for more than 10 minutes in a session. But this morning, for the first time, I began samatha as I worked on my stationary bike. In a matter of seconds my breathing became steady and the sensations to my body dropped away. I rode in complete calm, only aware of the constant breathing cadence. When I ended the session I looked at my watch and I had worked out effortlessly for 20 minutes!! As I climbed off the bike I felt that wonderful ‘burn’ which follows a great workout. It was a moving and uplifting experience. Now I know that I can recover much of the strength that I have lost in the past months.
Thank you so much!
Greg
Comment from umesh
Time: October 27, 2008, 2:52 pm
it would be so helpful to explainwhat are the stages of this meditaion and how to practise those in order for the beginners….thanx.but it was really good
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 27, 2008, 3:44 pm
Hi Umesh,
It seems you didn’t notice the links at the left of the page. They read:
* Introduction
* Stage 1
* Stage 2
* Stage 3
* Stage 4
Those will take you through the various stages of this practice.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from matthew searle
Time: December 15, 2008, 1:23 pm
Hello,
I started my meditation over a year ago after stumbling across your guide, thank you very much! I practice daily and meditate for 30 mins, centering on the breath.
My question is regards progress. Each time I meditate I begin by focusing on the breath but after 10 mins or so I get a rising sensation of deep contentment/ bliss/ relaxation and with these sensations I begin to see dream like images. Sometimes the images are so clear it is as if I have my eyes open. I lose my focus on my breath but I am aware that I am not asleep as I can consciously view the images.
Sometimes the blissful feeling is so intense that I could stay there for a very long time! The feeling of bliss stays with me for a while after my meditation, however are these images merely tricks of the mind and are to be ignored or should they be explored in more depth? is this progress?
Sorry if this doesn’t make much sense but a lot of things that happen when you meditate are hard to convey!
Thanks very much Matt.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: December 16, 2008, 10:48 am
Hi Matthew,
It sounds like things are going well. What you’re experiencing is either access concentration or dhyana/jhana — probably dhyana. Both are states of mind where you’ve eliminated the hindrances and the mind is naturally still, focused, and bright. Access is the state we get to just before dhyana arises, and in access there’s just a bit more mental instability. In moving through access it’s very common for what’s called a “nimitta” or sign to arise. The nimitta can manifest in a variety of sensory modes, but a visual one like yours is quite common. It’s also common around the same time that the breath becomes so subtle that it vanishes, and the thing to do here is to move awareness to the nimitta. Which is what you’re doing, so that’s all good. paying attention to the nimitta helps take us into the first level of dhyana, so I’d suggest that you just continue doing what you’re doing.
But there’s further to go. Eventually you’ll find that any inner chatter (which is already very quiet, I’d imagine) stops altogether, and you’ll experience an uprising of physical energy and pleasure (technically it’s called priti, or piti). You should just let this permeate the entire body. What I’m describing here is a move from first to second dhyana.
One caveat is that in access concentration there are two kinds of images that arise. The stable ones you should pay attention to. But if the image is moving or unstable (people often see colored lights) then just note that this sensation is arising and keep your attention on the breath. The moving images are a marker of remaining instability in the mind and paying attention to them will prevent progress.
I think you described your experience very clearly, by the way. As I said, things seem to be going very well and you seem to have a good instinctual feel for which direction to head in.
Comment from Samantha
Time: January 8, 2009, 3:48 am
Hi,
Thank you so much for this web site, for years I have been “starting” to meditate and “trying” to meditate. I think the problem was just not knowing how to go about it. This web site being set out into stages of learning has so far been extremely helpful. I am actually making time and doing it.
I still find myself controlling the breath a bit and having waves of anxiety come through me (which is why I need to meditate)
But I am getting closer to understanding myself, and why I have this reaction (or at least I hope so!)
I am up to the first stage and I can really see myself sticking to it this time.
So thank you.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 8, 2009, 4:19 pm
I wish you all the best in establishing a meditation practice, Samantha.
Comment from Paul
Time: January 10, 2009, 10:01 am
Hi all,
Here is a little technique I use when I find myself distracted during the mindfulness of breathing.
When I become aware of myself being distracted by my thoughts, I try to in effect “think backwards.” In other words, I go back through all the thoughts that led me to the one I had when I realized I was distracted. This way I can see what led me there in the first place and it also gives me a sense of control over my own mind and it’s processes. These “mind trails” can be quite revealing.
It’s important too that after one has rewinded one’s thoughts, to let them pass and return to becoming mindful of the breath. Bodhipaksa describes it as if one is waiting at a train station and our thoughts are the trains that pass through the station. We are aware of these “trains” but never “board” them, i.e: get distracted.
But if you do get distracted, try thinking backwards for a moment and see if it can ground you again. Good luck!
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Time: January 17, 2009, 9:00 am
[...] of free resources to help you! I suggest you start on either the Meditation Posture page or the Mindfulness of Breathing [...]
Comment from matt
Time: February 16, 2009, 8:55 am
Bit of a silly question maybe but does anyone have any advice for how to do mindfulness of breathing with a blocked up nose? I’ve got a cold its a bit frustrating! Is it ok to breathe through your mouth?
Thanks
Matt
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 16, 2009, 9:20 am
Hi Matt,
Not a silly question at all. You gotta do what you gotta do, an if your nose is blocked then you’ll just have to pay attention to whatever other body part you’re able to breathe through. I have a cold as well. You have my sympathy!
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Rich
Time: August 3, 2009, 3:07 am
Hello Bodhipaksa,
I have been trying to practise breathing meditation in the mornings, but I am having difficulties. The first few times I attempted meditation my concentration seemed to be quite strong, but since then my thoughts seem to slip continously into waking-dream dialogues and images. From one point of view it’s quite interesting, seeing all these strange images float up like your dad’s voice, a boyfriend and girlfriend talking, even a ballet class (!) – but there seems like such a lack of ability to focus on my breathing that I wonder if there’s any point.
I get up at six o’clock to get ready so that I have an hour from 7-8 to reflect for 30 minutes and then meditate for 30 minutes. Perhaps I’m just too tired, but there really isn’t any other time I could do it. Do you have any advice?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 3, 2009, 11:02 am
Hi Rich,
Usually when we’re dreaming in meditation it means that we’re tired, so that’s the first thing I’d try to sort out. Getting to sleep half an hour earlier might help. Doing some stretching rather than reflecting before your meditation could possibly be even more beneficial. The body can be rather tight first thing in the morning and so stretching can be hard work, but I’ve often found that stretching boosts my energy levels and makes me more alert.
There’s also the possibility that you need to look at your posture — sitting a little too low, or slumping, or even just having your chin tucked in a bit too much can create conditions for sleepiness to arise. If you can email me front and side pictures of you meditating then I could give you an idea if you need to make any adjustments. But stretching would be the first thing I’d try.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Betty
Time: August 10, 2009, 12:21 pm
Thank you for this wonderful site!
I am a first time meditator and this site is so very helpful to beginners!
I recently bought the book The Attention Revolution because I felt that my attention was constantly wandering at work and my mind was feeling dull due to it. I didn’t fully grasp the mindful breathing it suggested in the first chapter and your site has filled in some of the gaps and answered many of my questions. So again, thank you very much!
I meditated this morning for the first time for 24 minutes as directed in my book and focused on my mindful breathing. It is nearly the end of the day today and I don’t feel as tired as I normally would. I also feel a lot calmer and my brain certainly doesn’t feel as dull and tired as it normally would have had I not meditated. I’ve also found that its been easier to concentrate today and I’m not following random thoughts all over the place. I never realised how exhausting it is having such an unsettled mind!
Thank you again for this wonderful resource!
Betty
Comment from Jack K.
Time: August 19, 2009, 12:33 pm
Thank you for this site. Quick question. Though I have been sitting off and on for a few years, I still sometimes struggle with the issue of not controlling the breath. When I try to simply observe the breath, I find that I begin breathing more mechanically, and in some sense controlling it. This reminds me a bit of that notion in modern science… that by observing something, you can’t help but change it. Anyway, do you have any specific advice for us “control freaks,” in terms of letting go and simply observing the breath? Thanks.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 20, 2009, 9:43 am
Hi Jack,
You’re not the first person to ask that question, and I made some suggestions in this article. Please do let me know how you get on.
Comment from Martin
Time: August 22, 2009, 6:47 pm
I found your site by searching and it has been very helpful.
Naturally I am prone to periods of anxiety which is triggered by various circumstances and they can be very intense.
I have been following the mindfullness breathing meditation for a month and it is helping me to control my anxiety. What you say in the stage instructions is so true and has helped me realise that anxious feelings should not be feared but treated as any other feeling. This new attitude and the mindful breathing has greatly increased my standard of life and I now feel that I do not need to fight anxiety but accept it as a part of me and this means that I do not fuel its existance.
I am moving on to the loving kindness also and I think this will help me accept my emotions – both nice and nasty feeling ones as part of me.
Many thanks for the help this website has offered me.
Martin
Comment from Tony Button
Time: September 2, 2009, 9:41 pm
Thanks very much for your site. I practised mindfullness of breathing with the FWBO in London in the late 70′s and have just returned to it; I’m finding it very helpful in building contentment and a positive attitude. Interestingly, 30 years ago I experienced meditation as a discipline, something I needed to do to get results, whereas now I positively enjoy it which makes it a lot easier. One question; how do you know when to move to the next stage ? Do you use a timer ? I remember in London someone would ring a bell to tell us when to move to the next stage; now I just set my radio to come on after 25 minutes, but don’t try to time the intermediate stages. (sorry to be so mechanical, I probably need to lighten up a little !)
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 3, 2009, 8:26 am
Hi Tony,
That’s a good question. Fortunately we have a whole page on the topic of timing the stages in meditation.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
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Time: September 17, 2009, 8:04 am
[...] great site where you can learn more about it is http://www.wildmind.org/mindfulness. I can’t recommend it, and the practice of mindfulness enough. It teaches you to let go and [...]
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Time: October 10, 2009, 8:00 am
[...] our attention from the outside world to the same extent that we do when we are doing the Mindfulness of Breathing or Metta Bhavana(development of lovingkindness) practices. We have to be aware of things outside [...]
Comment from Dan
Time: December 16, 2009, 1:34 pm
Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for such a great website on Meditation. It really helped me start out and stay on track, I created a blog to keep a diary of my meditation, http://mindful-meditation-diary.blogspot.com/
but find I actually enjoy doing it so much that I’m no longer worried about stopping – it’s part of my life now.
I’ve been following your Mindfulness exercises over the last few months and have really felt a great benefit to my life.
Thanks again,
Dan
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Time: January 16, 2010, 2:37 pm
[...] helpful indeed when starting back more seriously into mindfulness meditation; I believe it was from Wildmind, but can’t find it right now to quote it. To paraphrase from memory, when your mind starts [...]
Comment from Boris
Time: January 16, 2010, 6:32 pm
Thanks for your great site. I have a question about my mindfulness practise. I have been doing mindfullness for more than a year and has given me great benefits. However, my mind keeps bugging me that I should also practise another meditation that I learned a long time ago when I was a child.
It’s a taoist meditation in which you focus at the point 2 inches below the navel. The dan tien or also called the hara in japanese zen meditation if I am correct.
According to what I understand from books, and from what my Tai Chi teacher tells me, focussing on that point increases your health and makes you feel very grounded. I’d say I’am quite a sensitive person and pick up on other peoples moods very easily. Sometimes that’s helpful, sometimes not at all. Especially stress. Also I suffer a lot from asthma and allergies. I know that this particular meditation will help me deal with those issues more, but since I have already started mindfulness for a year I don’t want to change all of a sudden. So I guess my question is is it possible to combine them both or will that be dangerous? Something tells me I need this meditation because it was my first spontaneous encounter with meditation. Hope I make any sense. Help is very much appreciated.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 19, 2010, 1:20 pm
Hi Boris,
There’s no danger in combining different forms of meditation. I often incorporate hara meditation into my mindfulness of breathing practice. It brings a different emphasis to the practice, but it’s very grounding. I switch back and forth between keeping the centre of my focus on the hara and on the more internal sensations of the breathing even within one meditation session, sometimes, depending on what seems appropriate.
If anything, I find that mindfulness of breathing with a focus on the hara allows for a more general and “open” awareness in which I notice a wide range of perceptions, including sounds, the light around me, the body, thoughts, emotions, etc. This can be a very good way to start a meditation session, even if one later moves into a more “one-pointed” form of mindfulness of breathing where one ends up focusing on a small subset of sensations, such as the air passing over the rims of the nostrils.
The broader form of mindfulness allows us to practice acceptance, and to sort out anything that needs our attention, making it easier to do one-pointed meditation. Then again, it can be useful just to stay in that broad awareness for an entire meditation.
Does this help at all?
Comment from Boris
Time: January 19, 2010, 1:38 pm
Thanks Bodhipaksa. Yes this is very good news. I was a bit worried about combining different kinds of meditation. My Tai Chi teacher warned me for that.
I have to say that I already did some little experiments and notice a big difference when I do hara meditation first before mindfulness. There seems to be a big energy current in my head and nose sometimes almost to the point that it feels like a headache. Much stronger then when I practice solely mindfulness. Strangly it is the seem feeling I experience when I have done some intensive cycling, running or walking before minfulness. I was a bit worried that this feeling might be harmfull but I guess it’s not. Thanks again!
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Time: February 8, 2010, 2:21 pm
[...] that in mind, I started doing more sitting/lying vipassana meditation, which has been helpful in multiple ways on its own. Once I felt secure in my ability to maintain [...]
Comment from Venkat
Time: February 25, 2010, 6:35 pm
Hi Bodhipaksa,
I found this website while searching for a meditation related info. Its really wonderful and mindful info…Thanks for such a good site.
I’ve have been practicing Art of Living-Sudarsan Kriya for the past three weeks. It’s been helping me control my stress level. My questions is when you start meditation how long it will take usually take until you see a big difference? my mind is still wander around, i know its too early to ask this questions. Just wanted to see how i am progressing…
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 26, 2010, 12:06 am
Hi Venkat,
It varies from person to person, and it would depend on what you mean by a “big difference.” A lot of people will notice they’re calmer immediately. Sometimes it takes other people to point out to them that they’re easier to be around. Scientific studies have shown that after a few weeks people’s brains are functioning more effectively and they’re happier. Does that help?
Comment from Venkat
Time: February 26, 2010, 10:39 am
Yes. i helped. I am trying understand the changes going on after i started the meditation process. Thanks for your time to answer my question.
Comment from Lee
Time: March 30, 2010, 10:57 am
Hi there. This is a great site!!
Could you tell me what’s the difference between The Mindfulness of breathing with 4 stages and The Mindfulness of Breathing, that has no stages?
Best wishes Lee
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 1, 2010, 5:45 pm
Hi Lee,
It very much depends on what kind of mindfulness of breathing with no stages that you’re doing. It may be that you’re referring to the MoB being doing primarily as a vipassana (insight) practice, where here it’s more of a samatha (calming) practice.
Comment from Lee
Time: April 4, 2010, 3:04 pm
Thank you very much for your reply.
The reason for my enquiry is that my therapist has advised me to take up mindfulness meditation to help with stress/anxiety, mainly for racing thoughts. I have been informed of MBSR courses, but after purchasing your first CD and book in the UK i find the four stages approach better for wandering thoughts as it gives a focus both in meditation and daily life.
My question is would the Mindfulness of Breathing taught in the MBSR achieve the same goal as the MOB four stages or does it differ and would it be of more benefit for stress/anxiety?
Many thanks to you.
Lee
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 5, 2010, 9:56 am
Thanks for the extra background information. That’s most helpful.
These two styles of meditation are ultimately complimentary. As I understand the Buddhist tradition, we start with meditation practices that calm the mind (samatha practices). These enable us to more effectively reflect (vipassana). The four-stage practice is a samatha practice, bringing us towards a calm, one-pointed, and stress-free state of mind. MBSR is more of a vipassana style of meditation, helping us to appreciate the impermanence of our stressful states, and helping us to see that those states ultimately aren’t us.
Even when doing vipassana practice, however, people have to initially put in a lot of work just to stabilize the mind, so even a “vipassana” approach is really a samatha-vipassana approach (starting by developing calmness and then focusing on reflection).
Which brings us to the fact that the four-fold practice can be turned into an effective samatha-vipassana practice quite easily. The first three stages are done as usual, and as the mind stabilizes in the third stage we bring in the practice of noticing the arising of sensations, thoughts, and emotions, noting how these are impermanent and how they are ultimately not a fixed part of us. So stages 1–3 become the samatha basis upon which the fourth, vipassana, stage can be more effectively engaged with.
I’d suggest that if the four-fold practice is working for you, stick with it for now. If you later want to take up vipassana, you can regard that as an “alternative fourth stage.” Some vipassana teachers would frown upon this, because they insist that their method is the only valid one, but I think such clinging to form is contrary to the spirit of Buddhist practice. For me, whatever works, works.
Does that help?
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Time: April 5, 2010, 3:39 pm
[...] meditation is another practice I have some familiarity with. Good examples can be found here and here. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the most prolific authors on mindfulness meditation. WPL has a [...]
Comment from abhinav tewari
Time: April 16, 2010, 4:37 am
Hi, this site is fantastic and happy to know that its helping soo many people, and hope it resolves my issues as well.
I do not meditate regularly, infact it was my 1st time today and was hit by soo many thoughts that i forgot that i have my breath to think about.
I have a stage fright, am a nervous person with low confidence in speaking in front of public.
Wanted to know if meditation can help me and how? And also how exactly to meditate for resolving certain specific issues.
Thank you
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 16, 2010, 10:10 am
Hi Abhinav,
If it’s any comfort, I still have days when I forget about the breath for long periods of time. It all depends on what else is going on in my life, whether I’ve had enough sleep, etc. So what you’ve experienced is what millions of other people have experienced as well.
If you want a fancy-schmancy answer to your question, the region of yur brain known as the amygdala, which gives rise to anxiety, becomes less active when we meditate. The left-prefrontal cortex, which is connected with positive emotion, becomes more active. And these changes are long-lasting, so that you’re actually re-wiring your brain as you meditate.
A simpler answer is that every time you bring your attention away from your anxious thoughts and back to your breath, you’re weakening the hold that anxiety has on you.
You might also find that lovingkindness meditation is helpful for your stage fright. Having more appreciation of yourself, and having lovingkindness for your audience, can make it much easier to speak in public. I used to get post-traumatic stress after teaching, and I’d also sometimes get quite anxious when giving talks, but that no longer happens. I now really enjoy public speaking. In fact it’s the most enjoyable thing I do. Change can happen.
As for your question of “how to meditate for resolving certain specific issues” — I’m afraid that’s rather too broad. You’d need to give me a specific issue so that I can comment on it.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Blayne
Time: April 28, 2010, 5:49 pm
Hello, firstly thanks for the site, it has been very helpful. I have two questions firstly ever since i began doing this meditation, afterwards i noticed that i was a lot more focused for 10 to 20 mins after meditation, its difficult to verbalise but i could actualy feel the focus.. It illistrated quite well the word “centered”. Is this a good sign? It has practical value obviously since for that time i am much more perceptive! The second question is how many times a day should one meditate and for how long? And when is a good time to start doing the loving kindness meditation? Thank you in advance for your answer.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 30, 2010, 9:03 pm
Hi Blayne,
Yes, that’s a good sign!
How often you should meditate each day really depends on your preferences and your schedule. I guess you need to ask yourself how often you want to or are able to meditate. And any time is a good time to start learning the lovingkindness practice! I think it’s helpful to have a couple of weeks’ familiarity with mindfulness practice first, but then after that, get cracking!
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Aravinda prabhu
Time: June 25, 2010, 7:32 am
I feel this site is one of the most important site i have ever visited.
I dont know how many times i have read, but every time i read i feel very much attached.
God Bless the author.
Aravinda prabhu (India)
Comment from Brendan
Time: September 13, 2010, 10:26 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
I wonder if you could offer practical advice for dealing with a certain hindrance. These days, when I practice mindfulness of breathing I find myself getting firstly caught up in my thoughts, and then when I try to correct that, I head right over to what seems like the opposite – I get tremendously drowsy. I don’t believe that it’s real sleepiness – it’s more like the mental fatigue that comes with frustration and corresponds to a reflex I see in myself outside meditation (I just wanna sleep and make all the complex stuff go away!).
This is all the more frustrating as I used to be a better practitioner of this meditation when I was younger. Can you offer any technique that would allow me to walk the tightrope between my wildmind and my dozymind?
Thanks.
Brendan
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Time: September 20, 2010, 1:55 pm
[...] So, this blog will track my progression on the actualization of a stronger, more focused, mind. To do this I will perform a 15-20min of a breathing meditation everyday. During this time, I will simply focus on a single point, the feel of my breath entering and exiting my nostrils. This is the most common meditation under the Buddhist tradition, hopefully I’ll see some positive results (1). [...]
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 2, 2010, 10:35 pm
Hi Brendan,
What you write reminds me of the Sona Sutta, which is worth reading. The sutta points out that over-exertion leads to mental restlessness, and that “overly slack persistence leads to laziness.” Pretty much what you describe.
You don’t actually say what you do when you try to correct your restlessness, but it’s possible that you’re just applying too strong an antidote, or persisting in applying it for too long. But more detail would be helpful. At the moment I don’t have very much to go on!
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Brendan
Time: October 4, 2010, 6:20 am
Thanks Bodhipaksa,
The sutta makes interesting reading. Part of my problem is that I can’t even properly describe what I’m doing when I try to correct restlessness. I try to follow the advice of considering the consequences of remaining restless, cultivating the opposite quality, and/or cultivating a ‘sky-like mind’. This activity is probably quite coarse and forced, I suspect. For example, in cultivating the opposite of restlessness, I tend to overshoot. I’ve read other advice which suggests that ‘Initial thought’ is the antidote to restlessness. This is a little abstract for me to use at the moment, though.
I will keep the metaphor of a stringed instrument in mind for future practices to see if I can find the right ‘pitch’…and hopefully not drift into Jimmy Page riffs.
Thanks again.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 4, 2010, 9:46 am
Hi Brendan,
When your mind is very busy, I’d suggest doing something simple like paying attention to the sensations of the breathing in the abdomen. Also pay attention more to the sense of letting go that accompanies the out-breath. Both of those are very gentle methods of calming the mind. It’s possible to “over-shoot” and end up in sloth and torpor, of course, but usually I find what happens is that I end up in a more calm and balanced state of mind.
Comment from srinivasan
Time: October 22, 2010, 1:59 pm
Dear Bodhi,
What is your view on the body scan as a main meditation practice in itself, (not as a preparatory step) as compared to say the mindfulness of breath? In certain traditions the body is considered to be a better anchor. Since we tend to be very much lost in our thoughts, there is a danger of making even our sitting practice another mind-trip. I deeply inspired by your writing & comments, hence the question.
warmly,
sri
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 25, 2010, 5:57 pm
Hi, Srinivasan.
I do think that for most people, the kind of intense focus that we can develop on the breath is very useful, and that the mind tends to wander more when mindfulness of the body as a whole is maintained for a long time. I think that body awareness as an extended practice is actually easier if there’s a basis of concentration developed through mindfulness of breathing.
And thank you for your kind comments!
Comment from annie
Time: January 20, 2011, 10:21 am
i have practiced 2 of the beginning breathing counting…i have severe anxiety disorder….im now excited to take one step onward..love & peace to all who read..
Comment from K
Time: March 20, 2011, 4:05 pm
“Distractedness is an inevitable part of the process of meditating and not a sign of failure!”
This is so true. I find that distraction ALWAYS arises. Lately, I just let it go. I pretend that I’m watching a movie and the thoughts are the frames on the screen. It helps me maintain a sort of separation from the thoughts themselves, and helps me observe the thoughts trigger emotions and then lead to action.
I do my best to not react and get swept away by the random thoughts, and I just say to my mind, “thank you”, then go back to being the witness. It’s war, all the time, in the mind.
This site is great!
K
Comment from Barbara
Time: April 20, 2011, 12:10 pm
Hello,
Thank you for providing all this valuable information. I recently started meditating. I am wondering if it is necessary to start with Samatha meditation first and then move onto Vipassana meditation?
Thank you.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 20, 2011, 9:30 pm
I’d say pretty much yes. Even if you plunge straight into vipassana, you’ll spend most of your time trying to stabilize the mind anyway, which is a samatha activity. So it’s unavoidable. Also, lovingkindness is a very important practice, and in my opinion needs to be practiced with as much regularity as mindfulness meditation.
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Time: April 24, 2011, 9:48 am
[...] Rather than responding with intensity, practice opposite action, radical acceptance, and mindful breathing. Maintain your [...]
Comment from vince
Time: May 22, 2011, 6:15 pm
Hi,
I love your web site. Very informative and useful. I have a question which is not directly about meditation, but about Buddhism in Sri Lanka. I read recently that the people of Sri Lanka were observing “sil”. Do you know what that means?
Vince
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 22, 2011, 8:38 pm
Hi, Vince.
It’s currently the anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. “Sil” is the Sinhalese form of the Pali word “sila” (ethics), and I understand that for a week people will commit to observing a list of eight precepts. My knowledge of this is rather scant, and there may be much more to the tradition than I know of.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Ollie
Time: August 12, 2011, 8:53 pm
Hello Bodhipaksa,
I’ve noticed meditation teachings use a lot of different words to describe what we must do with the breath: notice it, focus on it, feel it, watch it, become aware of it, fix your attention on it, among others. For a beginner this is very confusing. It has never been clear to me what I’m really supposed to be doing as meditation does not come naturally to me and no matter how long I sit (and it’s been over a year now) it doesn’t get clearer. Please can you help? I’d really appreciate if you could explain, precisely, what I’m suppose to do with the breath.
I have a sense that meditation could be very powerful and positive, but all get out of it is frustration and disappointment; if you could help before I give up trying for good I would be forever grateful.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 12, 2011, 9:32 pm
It’s actually not really the breath, but the breathing, that we’re paying attention to. I often slip into taking about “the breath,” but am trying to wean myself off of that habit.
So what are we doing with “the breathing”? We’re noticing/feeling the physical sensations connected with the breathing process. So we’re experiencing the movements of the ribcage and abdomen, and experiencing the sensation of air flowing in and out of the body, and through our airways.
When we use expressions like “watch the breath(ing)” that’s just a metaphor. We’re not doing anything with the eyes. We’re actually experiencing physical sensations in the body, not doing anything that’s literally visual.
Does that help?
Comment from dj
Time: September 6, 2011, 2:20 pm
observing ‘sil’ does happen in sri lanka as well as in temples in uk, once a month usually on the 1st saturday of the month, where, the observers come to the temple early in the morning, and observing the five preseps, and then have a programme, of meditation, buddhist talks, reflexion and spend the whole day until at about 1700hrs, as a one day retreat, which gives you so much calm and relaxation at the end of the day, in sri lanka this once a day happens on the full moon day of each month.
Comment from Ollie
Time: September 6, 2011, 7:33 pm
Dear Bodhipaksa,
Apologies for my late reply – thank you very much for your feedback as above, it was very helpful and I think I’ve been making some progress. I did have one last thing I hoped you wouldn’t mind helping me with though – it seems to me (in my experience) that there is more than one way to go about noticing the breathing, or precisely two. Either I try to (each breath) first relax my body and get my posture right (importantly with respect to my head – with it being up and with my chin tucked) and then to try and notice the breathing; or, to first notice the breathing, and as I do to then try and relax and get my posture right. The first puts most emphasis on keeping the body relaxed and the posture correct, but less on noticing the breathing (and is thus relaxing but a bit unfocussed), the second puts most emphasis on noticing the breathing but less on relaxation and posture (and is thus more focused but less relaxing). I’m tending to just oscillate between the two when I sit, as each method seems to provide what the other lacks! I’m not sure if this makes any sense at all(!) but these two different approaches are hard for me to ignore and I wondered if you could possibly provide some guidance here? I fear I’m not making the best progress I could be as I can’t commit to one method.
Thank you in advance, and I promise to make this my last question!
Regards,
Ollie
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 6, 2011, 7:40 pm
Generally one starts with setting up the posture, and then becoming more aware of the breathing, but the two are not necessarily as separate as you’re suggesting. We can be aware of the breathing as we’re establishing mindfulness in the body — we’re aware of the body breathing, and using the sense of letting go on the outbreath to help relax the body. At least that’s the approach that I take, and that I find works.
By the way, if you haven’t already done so, please feel free to purchase an MP3 or to make a donation to Wildmind. MP3 sales help us to keep the site running and make it easier for us to reply to people’s questions about meditation.
I’ll be on retreat for the next few days, so if you do happen to have any questions, please don’t expect a quick answer.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
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Time: September 16, 2011, 11:38 am
[...] An easy meditation that switches your mind over to something else, in this case counting the breath, is called the Mindfulness of Breathing. (A great version of it can be found here.) [...]
Comment from Chris
Time: September 23, 2011, 1:23 pm
Dear Bodhipaksa,
I have a silly question to ask. I’m in my early 20s and thinking about starting meditation. What kind of effect does meditation have on my sex life? I am afraid that it would make me asexual and thus unattractive to the opposite sex. What are your thoughts on this?
Regards,
Chris.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 23, 2011, 7:05 pm
Hi, Chris.
Ain’t gonna happen :)
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from John Gregory
Time: September 27, 2011, 1:52 pm
Hi,
This morning at 0645, I meditated for 20 minutes. About 15 minutes in, I became aware of my breath, belly moving with the breath, my posture, the traffic and strangest of all, I was dreaming at the same time. I felt at peace during this, however, looking back, it seems quite surreal.
Comment from Kasun
Time: November 22, 2011, 5:30 am
Thanks for your words of wisdom. I’m not fluent in English. I have been doing Anapanasathi meditation for 6 months, 2 or 3 times a day for 30-40 minutes. After 15-20 min breath became subtle and I couldn’t notice it, because there was no bodily sensation. Then I fell in to sleep. Now I’m stuck in this point. Please help me to get over this problem.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 22, 2011, 9:35 am
Hi, Kasun.
It’s great that your meditation is leading to the breath becoming very subtle to the point where it disappears. Many people experience this as they’re going into jhana, which is a state of joy, calm, and concentration (I don’t have the experience of the breath vanishing, for some reason).
Anyway, if the breath vanishes, this is a god thing, but you need something to replace it. You can shift your focus to another object, such as feelings of pleasure and energy in the body, or the emotion of joy, or the perception of light. Usually the mind finds an object, and I’m guessing that your mind has been creating an object for you, and you’ve been ignoring it because you think you’re supposed to be following the breath. Sometimes the object is an image, or a feeling in the body. They’re very varied. Think back and see if you can remember anything like that happening. I’d be very interested to hear more.
Comment from Kasun
Time: November 24, 2011, 2:07 pm
Thanks Bodhipaksa for your instructions. When breath disappeears, my mind became peaceful and quit. For me it was feel like the time stops. It is difficult to convay the feeling because the language barrier. But after your guidance, I tried to examine it closely. When the breath vanished, most prominent feeling I experienced was feeling of pleasure. Also when it happened my mind gets brightened. But it was not glowing light. It’s just bright feeling in mind. I tried to shift my attention on feeling of pleasure. But it is difficult because my mind used to feel rough sensation like breath. I felt my mind was not stable and wondering in thoughts. What should I do?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 24, 2011, 8:45 pm
These things are hard to describe, but it definitely sounds as if you were close to experiencing jhana. If there were a lot of wandering thoughts, then that suggests you might have been in a mildly distracted state we call access, which is just before jhana. Think in terms of enjoying the pleasant flow of the breathing, at this point. Bring your awareness more fully into the body, so that you’re less focused on what is going on in the mind. This should help bring about a bit more calmness.
Learning to become absorbed in the inner sensations of pleasure and joy may take a little practice, but usually they’re such prominent features of our experience as we actually enter jhana that it’s quite easy to focus on them.
Also, when these experiences don’t arise, that’s OK! Sometimes people get upset when, after a jhanic or near-jhanic sit, they find that their meditations have gone back to something more “normal.” But this is a common experience, and we need to simply accept the ups and downs.
Comment from Kasun
Time: November 26, 2011, 12:49 pm
Dear Bodhipaksa, Your instructions are really helped me. I’m greatful to you for your help. You’re a Kalyanamitta ( noble friend). I learned a lot about intricate parts in Anapanasathi in your site. I’ll refer to you when I find difficulty again. Keep up the good work!
Regards,
Kasun.
Comment from Jessica T.
Time: January 1, 2012, 3:44 pm
Thank you so much for this very informative site. The information that you provide is really helpful and the guided meditation is very detailed and well explained. I have been meditating for some time now, but have only practiced mindfulness a couple of times, but will begin to focus more on this type of meditation and see how mindfulness can benefit me in ways that other types of meditation can’t.
Thanks again for this great site
Jessica T
Comment from Paul
Time: January 6, 2012, 7:54 am
Hi,
Sometimes when meditating, I experience an intense impatience to move, an increased heart rate and anxiety. There sometimes is even a slight ringing in my head. I become almost hyper-aware of the stillness and instead of it being calming, it’s troubling.
I generally meditate after I wake up (and after drinking coffee, which might be the cause, but these feelings occur without that as well.)
Generally, I feel varying degrees of calm during and after my meditating, but I’d love some advice on how to handle these uncomfortable sensations when they arise.
Thanks, everyone!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 6, 2012, 9:46 am
Hi, Paul.
That’s the “hindrance of restlessness and anxiety” and I offer some advice here. Feel free to get back to me after you’ve tried some of the techniques I suggest.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from chompak
Time: March 5, 2012, 9:03 am
whenever i sit for breathing meditation, i start controlling it unknowingly, as a result i am unable to see breath or sensation caused due to breathing. i m unable to let normal breathing to happen. This is causing me physical pain (near heart,throat). But i find easy to observe sensation in the body parts.Why it happens so ? What is the mistake. Where should i focus my attention ? please guide me.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 7, 2012, 11:38 am
Hi, Chompak.
Sometimes we like to feel that we’re in control, even when it makes no sense to be in control. Breathing is one of those things that it makes no sense for us to be in control of. The breathing just happens, whether “you” are there or not. This is fortunate, since the breathing keeps happening even when you are asleep. But this desire to control keeps arising when your attention moves to the breathing. Probably there is some fear involved. We don’t like not being in control. And it is weird, isn’t it? You have this body, and yet it’s really not your body. Who is breathing when “you” are not paying attention?
I would suggest that you notice all the ways in which you are not in control, and learn to relax into just being an observer. When you’re walking, you can notice that “you” don’t consciously give instructions to each individual muscle. The walking just happens. Your body digests food, whether you ask it to or not. If you notice your mind, your thoughts just arise. You don’t make them happen and you can’t stop them from happening. This applies to absolutely everything we do or say. We like to think we’re in control, but really we’re not.
So notice, in as many areas of your life as you can — in every area of your life — that you are not really in control. Accept this, get used to it, and relax into it.
Comment from chompak
Time: March 8, 2012, 8:26 am
Thanks Bodhipaksa for your instructions. I have some doubts regarding breathing meditation. Whether it is essential to observe at nostrils so that we deeper experiences ? Many authors suggest to observe at nostrils. When i do that i start conrolling the breath after observing a couple of seconds. Is it OK to be aware of sensations at any part of the body with shallow background awareness about breath ?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 11, 2012, 5:14 pm
Hi, Chompak.
I wouldn’t say that overall it’s “essential” to observe the breath at the nostrils. Until you get to the point where you control the breath while doing this you might want to avoid it. You can certainly be aware of the breathing anywhere in the body, but you may well find that as your mind settles and as you relax into the practice, your attention naturally moves to those subtler sensations. I’d be interested to hear what happens when you begin by paying attention to the movements of the abdomen, for example, and then add the sensations in the nostrils so that you’re paying attention to both experiences at the same time. This kind of split attention can be very calming. And you may find that you don’t feel the need to control.
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Time: March 19, 2012, 11:58 am
[...] Mindfulness of breathing may be the best known form of this practice. You essentially focus your attention on your breathing to anchor yourself in the present moment. Find a comfortable place, relax and take a deep breath. As you inhale, notice how refreshing the air is, but also notice the tension building in your body. As you exhale, enjoy the release of tension and let it flow slowly out of you. I find inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth helps maintain focus. Nevertheless, your mind will wander, at least in the beginning. [...]
Comment from raj
Time: March 30, 2012, 12:44 pm
NIce illustrated post thanks….Can you guide me how i can meditate daily as i keep missing my daily schedule for meditation?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 30, 2012, 2:36 pm
Most people find that having a set time and place to meditate helps them to keep up a regular practice. But is that’s difficult, then you need to commit to sitting daily, even if it’s just for five minutes. You should be aiming to meditate for longer than that, but five minutes is your fall-back position. And it should be five minutes on the cushion, ideally. So it doesn’t matter how busy you are, or how tired you are, or how restless your mind is, you’re committed to sitting for at least five minutes. Often you’ll feel resistant to meditating at all, but once you st down for your five minute minimum you’ll often think “that wasn’t so bad” and find yourself sitting for longer.
Comment from Sean
Time: April 12, 2012, 12:42 am
Dear bodhipaksa,
I immensely enjoyed reading your article , I suffer a form of OCD , recurring thoughts …. All day long . Will breath watching meditation help in OCD . Thanks a ton
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 12, 2012, 12:27 pm
Hi, Sean.
Yes, there is evidence that mindfulness-based approaches are helpful for OCD. There’s a mindfulness-based therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy that looks like a very promising approach.
Comment from jo
Time: April 25, 2012, 2:21 am
Thanks for your prompt reply to my question about controlling the breath. I found the page all about it shortly after submitting my post, then was unable to cancel it and felt a bit silly to have wasted your time. The ‘feeling the breath through the nostrils’ idea was very helpful, I did not really think I could feel the breath at all there, but when I really concentrated, there it was! This took my mind off the whole breath issue and helped to not control my breathing. I also think your point about playfulness very pertinent – I know I do get quite intense when I’m learning something new and really want to get it right. My mind does not seem to work well with images, almost all my thinking involves self-talk, but I will give this a try. Will also try the focus on the outbreath and let you know how that goes.
I’m very excited to have found this site – I have been practicing on my own, using instructions from you-tube (which can be varied, conflicting and even bizzare). I don’t know anyone else who meditates, so nobody to share ideas with or tell me if I’m “doing it right”. I have many questions……. But before I post them, I’ll read through all your articles first. Thank you so much for being her for us ‘newbies’!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 25, 2012, 9:33 am
Hi, Jo.
No problem at all. It’s a big site, and even I can’t keep track of everything we have on here.
Feel free to fire away with questions.
And if you’d like to support what we do here, you could consider buying a guided meditation MP3 or something else from our online store. It all helps us in our mission to make meditation instruction and practice more widely available.
Comment from john
Time: April 27, 2012, 10:02 pm
Hi great website for elaborating and providing information. Very enlightenening.
However, i have a problem. Im always told during breath meditation that one should just passively watch the breath. There are also other masters saying that you conciously inhale/exhale with opposers saying one should not manipulate it or control it all. I have tried just passively watching and npticed its extremely difficult to do so. My breath is extremely subtle and undetectable even at the beginning of practice. What can i do to help my situatuoon?what can i do to purely be aware of the breath while passively following it?
Please reply back
With rgards, john
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 28, 2012, 2:22 pm
I’ve never come across any Buddhist teaching that advises controlling the breathing — except to the extent of, for example, taking a few deep breaths to help one calm down. At the same time we don’t passively watch the breathing (it’s better to think of experiencing not “the breath” but “the breathing”). We “actively” watch the breathing.
It may be that you’re talking the “breath” thing too literally. It’s the physical sensations of the breathing that you should be paying attention to. The contact with the breath (i.e. the air entering and leaving the body) is just one small part of this. It’s very unlikely that the movements of the body are too subtle for you to follow.
Give this article a read, try putting it into practice, and see how you get on.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Kathy
Time: May 7, 2012, 10:15 pm
Thanks a lot for your wonderful site. I usually meditate as per above instructions for 20 mins twice a day. Nearly each time it’s very helpful. Once, however, I was aware that there were minimal distractions and I was very very deep In meditation. After about fifteen minutes, I felt a sort of panic rise up, something like a panic attack, some fear that I will loose control. I stopped, opened my eyes and in two minutes it was gone. But it was bad while it lasted.
Is this OK?
Thanks a lot, again for your wonderful site.
Do you ha
Comment from Kathy
Time: May 7, 2012, 10:34 pm
Just to add on to my earlier post , the panic seems to have come up when I sort of lost my attention to breath in the end, when extremely deep in meditation. Also, while there is some medium stress/tension in the present life, I am not a troubled/depressed person, nor do I have any history of psychological trouble.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 8, 2012, 1:04 am
Hi, Kathy.
Ah, yes. Sometimes this kind of thing happens, and it’s really quite normal. We get very used to being a particular way, don’t we? There’s an old story of a fisherwomen who’d take her baskets into the market. And one time the woman in the next stall, who sold flowers, asked her if she’d stay overnight in the flower shop because she had to attend to a family emergency. So the fish-seller tried to sleep in the flower shop, but kept tossing and turning because of the sweet smell of the flowers. Eventually she puts her old fish basket over her head, breathes a sign of relief, and falls fast asleep. The moral is that at some level we can actually be uncomfortable with the peace and happiness of a deep meditative state. One some level of course we’re happy, but there are ingrained habits that feel threatened. It’s almost like those habits know they’re going to die away, and they fight back.
So actually, this is a good sign. You’ll get more used to being in deeper and more tranquil states of mind, and your subconscious will get used to it to, and there will be less of a reaction. And maybe sometime in the future, when you go even deeper, you’ll have something similar happen. But it’s just a phase. It happened to the Buddha on the eve of his enlightenment, reportedly. He was assaulted by a vast army of ill will, and craving, and doubt. And he just recognized them for what they were, and kept on with his practice.
The other day I experienced some anxiety arising before giving a talk, and I said to myself, “One of the boys in the basement is anxious.” (The boys in the basement is my name for my subconscious). And I allowed the anxiety to be there, and had compassion for it, but didn’t react to it. And eventually it passed, as these things always do. So in future I’d suggest doing something like I did. Just notice your anxiety. But don’t be your anxiety. Realize that suffering is present. And send it compassion. And just keep on with the practice.
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Time: May 8, 2012, 4:36 am
[...] our attention from the outside world to the same extent that we do when we are doing the Mindfulness of Breathing or Metta Bhavana (development of lovingkindness) practices. We have to be aware of things outside [...]
Comment from sam
Time: May 20, 2012, 9:53 am
Hi,
Thank you SO much for your site. I have a question if I may….
I am new to meditation and have been practising Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana – rotating each day i.e Monday Mindfulness, Tuesday Metta, Wednesday Mindfulness etc etc
Would you advise this, or do you think focussing on Mindfulness is a better starting point for now? I would really value your thoughts.
Many thanks,
Sam
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