Breathing meditation is one of the most basic forms of meditation.
Deceptively simple, it will soon show you what a monkey mind we have.
It is the foundation of many Buddhist meditation practices such as vipassana and mindfulness meditation.
Some forms of vipassana place emphasis on observing the breath at the nose tip, while others at the navel.
Here are the breathing meditation instructions of my own, I will endeavor to record it and make it available as a free resource.
My emphasis is attention on the body moving as it breathes.
As I see it breath doesn't actually exist, it is just air that the body draws in and expels.
So the place to pay attention is not the breath but the action that creates breath.
The second part is letting go.
We all carry so many tensions in the body, mostly from habit.
Observing the body breathing will soon reveal tensions we never noticed before, and we can then choose to begin the process of letting them go and opening into greater freedom and expansiveness.
The tensions probably took many years to accumulate and we must be patient in allowing their release.
Here then are my breathing meditation instructions Sit comfortably with your spine erect and begin by becoming aware of your points of contact with the ground, and know that whatever form it takes in this moment that it is the earth.
Notice if there is any resistance in your body to the contact with the ground any feeling anywhere of pulling up or away from the ground, and if there is, let it go and soften the body into simply, comfortably sitting on the earth.
Become aware of the breath entering the body.
Have the feeling that the breath sinks into the body entering at the nose, feel the movements in the body as the breath enters and leaves.
Pay attention to all the movements and sensations in the body as the breath enters and as it leaves.
Notice exactly where you first feel the inward movement, follow it's passage inward.
Notice what in your body moves to bring the air in.
pay attention to the exact moment when the inhalation complete, and a notice if there is a moment of stillness at the fullness of the breath before exhalation begins.
Then notice exactly where you first feel the outward movement of the exhalation and follow it all the way out.
Notice what in your body moves as the breath leaves.
Then see if you notice a moment of stillness in the emptiness of the breath before the next inhalation begins.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Begin now to pay attention to and enter the moment of completion of the inhalation, the moment of stillness in fullness before exhalation begins.
Also pay attention to, and enter the moment of completion of the exhalation, the moment of stillness in emptiness before the inhalation begins.
Continue to feel the movements of the body as it breathes with awareness of all four parts of a single breath.
Inhalation, stillness in fullness, exhalation, and stillness in emptiness.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Begin to notice any areas where you feel tightness, constriction or tension around the breath as it enters, and having noticed them choose to begin the process of letting go of the holding in those places, and allowing the body to soften and open.
Now begin the same process with the breath as it leaves the body, noticing anywhere in the body where there is contracting or tightening around the breath as it leaves.
Be aware that they may be quite different places to the inhalation.
Again having noticed them, choose to begin the process of letting go of the holding, and allowing the body to soften and open.
Softening with each breath in each breath out.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Also allow the face to soften, particularly the eyes and the area around and behind the eyes, allow the softening to spread across the cheeks to the jaw, the lips the tongue, everything releasing and softening.
Gently place the tongue on the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth, and allow the tongue to soften.
Continue to meditate paying attention to each breath as it enters and each breath as it leaves, and soften the body around each breath, letting go, and letting go and letting go, deeper into this present moment, deeper into yourself.
Breathing meditation is so simple and easy to remember how to do.
It is a great one for those times, like being stuck in traffic or standing in a queue.
Deceptively simple, it will soon show you what a monkey mind we have.
It is the foundation of many Buddhist meditation practices such as vipassana and mindfulness meditation.
Some forms of vipassana place emphasis on observing the breath at the nose tip, while others at the navel.
Here are the breathing meditation instructions of my own, I will endeavor to record it and make it available as a free resource.
My emphasis is attention on the body moving as it breathes.
As I see it breath doesn't actually exist, it is just air that the body draws in and expels.
So the place to pay attention is not the breath but the action that creates breath.
The second part is letting go.
We all carry so many tensions in the body, mostly from habit.
Observing the body breathing will soon reveal tensions we never noticed before, and we can then choose to begin the process of letting them go and opening into greater freedom and expansiveness.
The tensions probably took many years to accumulate and we must be patient in allowing their release.
Here then are my breathing meditation instructions Sit comfortably with your spine erect and begin by becoming aware of your points of contact with the ground, and know that whatever form it takes in this moment that it is the earth.
Notice if there is any resistance in your body to the contact with the ground any feeling anywhere of pulling up or away from the ground, and if there is, let it go and soften the body into simply, comfortably sitting on the earth.
Become aware of the breath entering the body.
Have the feeling that the breath sinks into the body entering at the nose, feel the movements in the body as the breath enters and leaves.
Pay attention to all the movements and sensations in the body as the breath enters and as it leaves.
Notice exactly where you first feel the inward movement, follow it's passage inward.
Notice what in your body moves to bring the air in.
pay attention to the exact moment when the inhalation complete, and a notice if there is a moment of stillness at the fullness of the breath before exhalation begins.
Then notice exactly where you first feel the outward movement of the exhalation and follow it all the way out.
Notice what in your body moves as the breath leaves.
Then see if you notice a moment of stillness in the emptiness of the breath before the next inhalation begins.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Begin now to pay attention to and enter the moment of completion of the inhalation, the moment of stillness in fullness before exhalation begins.
Also pay attention to, and enter the moment of completion of the exhalation, the moment of stillness in emptiness before the inhalation begins.
Continue to feel the movements of the body as it breathes with awareness of all four parts of a single breath.
Inhalation, stillness in fullness, exhalation, and stillness in emptiness.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Begin to notice any areas where you feel tightness, constriction or tension around the breath as it enters, and having noticed them choose to begin the process of letting go of the holding in those places, and allowing the body to soften and open.
Now begin the same process with the breath as it leaves the body, noticing anywhere in the body where there is contracting or tightening around the breath as it leaves.
Be aware that they may be quite different places to the inhalation.
Again having noticed them, choose to begin the process of letting go of the holding, and allowing the body to soften and open.
Softening with each breath in each breath out.
Be aware of witnessing these things as you witness them.
Also allow the face to soften, particularly the eyes and the area around and behind the eyes, allow the softening to spread across the cheeks to the jaw, the lips the tongue, everything releasing and softening.
Gently place the tongue on the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth, and allow the tongue to soften.
Continue to meditate paying attention to each breath as it enters and each breath as it leaves, and soften the body around each breath, letting go, and letting go and letting go, deeper into this present moment, deeper into yourself.
Breathing meditation is so simple and easy to remember how to do.
It is a great one for those times, like being stuck in traffic or standing in a queue.
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