In the mindfulness of breathing practice we are working on the
development of our awareness through cultivating the faculty of
mindfulness. The practice leads to the experience of a calm,
recollected state of mind in which there is also the experience
of vitality and clarity. We feel more concentrated as our
attention rests more and more on the experience of the breath.
Our awareness, our personal experience of being ourselves, is
based in the six senses: the five physical senses and the mind.
Our awareness changes from moment to moment as our senses take
in new impressions, as our attention shifts from one thing to
another.
Positively considered, this shifting of attention, from sense to
sense, from object to object, contributes to our overall
experience of awareness. Negatively considered, we live in a
state of distraction. Our attention span is not very long and
our minds wander from one sense attraction to another.
Mindfulness is the opposite of distraction. Mindfulness is the
ability to keep up a continuity of attention, to be well
composed, our mind not wandering haplessly about. The more
mindful we are, the more aware we can be of ourselves and beyond
ourselves.
In the mindfulness of breathing practice we use the breath as an
object of attention. We don't need to try to ‘concentrate’ by
fixing our attention on the breath, and holding it determinedly.
If we just watch the breath come and go with a relaxed and open
mind, we may find ourselves becoming more attuned to the rhythm
and flow of the breath, more aware of the subtle sensations of
the breathing.
THE PRACTICE
There are four stages to the practice which involve resting our
awareness on the natural breath, to help us become more aware of
our experience in the moment.
1st stage
In the first stage we use counting to help us to connect with
the breathing, counting silently in our minds. Watching the
breath come and go, in it’s own natural rhythm, we count at the
end of the outgoing breath. We count ten breaths in this way.
Then we count another ten breaths; and continue counting in this
way. So:
breathe in, breathe out and count 1
breathe in, breathe out and count 2....and so on up to:
breathe in, breathe out and count 10... breathe in, breathe out
and count 1 again....counting another 10 breath cycles....
2nd stage
In the second stage we change to counting the breath just before
the incoming breath. It is small change, but it creates a
different emphasis in the way we pay attention.
count 1, breathe in, breathe out
count 2, breathe in, breathe out....and so on up to 10
then count another cycle of ten breaths.
Tip: It is important to stress that the purpose of
this meditation practice is to cultivate moments of awareness,
rather than being concerned about ‘succeeding’ to count ten
breaths undistractedly. If you notice you’ve lost track of the
counting and you find yourself thinking about something entirely
unrelated to the breath, don’t worry. In the noticing that your
mind has wandered you have cultivated a moment of awareness,
which is the main point of the practice.
3rd stage
In the third stage we let go of the counting and simply watch
the breath come and go. We try to keep up a continuous awareness
of the breathing. We try to be aware of the whole sensation of
the breathing, aware of the space between breaths.
4th stage
In the fourth stage we let out attention focus on the sensations
felt near the tip of the nose or on the lips, the place where
the breath first enters the body as our breath comes and goes.
We don’t need to strain on this fine point, but we keep up a
relaxed attention.
We may prefer to simply rest the awareness on the rise and fall
of the abdomen.
Tip: if sleepy you may find it more helpful to rest
the awareness higher in the body at the nose or lips;
if agitated you may find it more helpful to rest the awareness
lower in the body at the abdomen.
