The anapanasati practice

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In this section, the Buddha outlines sixteen ways of approaching the Mindfulness of Breathing meditation practice.

Mindfulness of In-and-Out Breathing

Now how is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing developed and pursued so as to bring the four foundation of mindfulness to their culmination?

There is the case where a monk, having gone to the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect, and setting mindfulness to the fore. Always mindful, he breathes in; mindful he breathes out.

The first tetrad (group of four practices) relates to mindfulness of the body — first just being aware of the breathing (which is a physical sensation) and noticing whether the breaths are short or long. Then the breathing is noticed in relation to the entire body, so that the practice is no longer narrowly focused on the sensation of the breathing, but instead the breathing is used as an anchor for a wider sense of awareness. Sometimes we talk about “mindfulness with breathing” instead of “mindfulness of breathing” in order to make this distinction. Lastly, the meditator uses this mindfulness of the entire body to bring about physical calmness and release, or relaxation.

First Tetrad

[1] Breathing in long, he discerns that he is breathing in long; or breathing out long, he discerns that he is breathing out long.

[2] Or breathing in short, he discerns that he is breathing in short; or breathing out short, he discerns that he is breathing out short.

[3] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to the entire body, and to breathe out sensitive to the entire body.

[4] He trains himself to breathe in calming the body, and to breathe out calming the body.

So in this stage (1 and 2 — although we shouldn’t take these 16 approaches to mindfulness of breathing to be stages that we need to work through in order) we’re establishing the first foundation of mindfulness.

We’re noticing first of all simply whether the breaths are short or long. Then (3) we’re using our focus on the breath as a central point of reference to help establish mindful awareness of the whole body. We don’t need to think about being narrowly focused on the breathing in the mindfulness of breathing practice. The breath is just a tool to help us develop mindfulness, and it’s not an end in itself.

Then (4) we’re allowing the body to relax deeply. This isn’t a conscious process of letting go, but the release from within of tensions that have been help unconsciously in the body. From time to time there will be a sense of sudden release, although sometimes there will just be a gradual sense of ease. The body can start to feel more alive and energized, while at the same time remaining calm and still.

This leads into the next tetrad, which is concerned with feelings and emotions. As the body relaxes, energy is released. This energy is known as rapture, and can be experienced in many ways.

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