It is a practice blessed with great simplicity. As in any other form of concentration practice the objective is to cultivate a clearly focused, undistracted attentiveness, to calm and clear the mind, to establish us in the present moment and to bring serenity and joy. Like any other form of concentration practice, the practice of attending to our breath can be developed into deep states of absorption with experiences of sublime joy and equanimity, or developed just sufficiently enough to serve as a foundation for exploring other dimensions of meditation and the development of understanding. There are a number of schools of meditation that suggest developing the principle of clearly established attentiveness utilizing the breath, prior to expanding the focus of meditation to develop insight.
There are a variety of ways of cultivating concentration through attending to our breathing process. No one of them is intrinsically superior or more effective than another – again different temperaments will find a greater sense of harmony in slightly different variations upon what is essentially a single path of establishing and developing attentiveness.
COUNTING
After settling your body in your chosen meditation posture, turn your attention inward to be aware of your breathing process. Don’t attempt to alter or control your breathing – it will not accelerate your capacity to concentrate – but simply attend to the natural rhythm of your breath. The purpose of counting is to aid us in focusing our attention upon our breath and bring us closer to each breath as it occurs.
As you breathe in, silently count one, as you breathe out count two. Continue up until ten and then begin again with one.
There will be times when your attention becomes lost in a thought process – the moment you become aware of this simply return to counting one and continue. Continue with the counting until your attention begins to feel steady and established in your breathing process and then let the counting go, remembering that the counting is only a tool to establish your attention.
FIXING THE ATTENTION
As you begin your meditation, initially bring your attention to the whole movement of your breath from its beginning to end and notice the way in which your body responds to each inhalation and each exhalation – the movements of expansion and contraction.
Notice in which part of your body you most clearly perceive your breath – it may be in the area of your upper lip and the entrance to your nostrils, the area of your chest or in the rise and fall of your abdomen. Establish your attention in the area of your body where your breath is most clearly perceptible and cultivate a sustained and unwavering focus at your upper lip, chest or abdomen. Notice the sensations that arise in this area of your body as you breathe in and out, whether coolness, warmth, rising or falling – not evaluating them but bringing a mindful attentiveness.
Again your attention will be at times pulled away by thoughts, sounds or sensations. The moment you are aware this has taken place simply return your attention once more to the area of your body you have selected. As the mind calms and steadies, you will notice changes both in the state of your body and in the rhythm of your breathing. Your body will begin to relax and feel lighter, your breathing will become more subtle and slow. Don’t interfere in any way with this natural unfoldment, but keep the attention unwaveringly upon your chosen focus.
NAMING
As you begin your meditation and turn your attention to your breathing process, naming is another means of connecting your attention more closely with your breath. As you breathe, silently make a mental note of ‘in-breath’, as you breathe out silently make a mental note of ‘out-breath’. The words ‘rising’, ‘falling’, ‘expansion’ or ‘contraction’ can be gently attached to each movement.
Continue to note each inhalation and each exhalation as they occur. The purpose of using these labels is to bring the attention closer to the actual experience of each breath as it occurs. Care needs to be taken in using the mental notes so they neither become habitual nor interfere with the direct perception of the breath on a moment to moment level.
The introduction of naming is an effective way of bringing the mind to calmness and one-pointedness, particularly in times when it is particularly agitated or busy. As the mind calms and the attention begins to stabilize the mental notes will fade in significance and drop away.
BARE ATTENTION
After settling yourself in your posture and turning your attention to your breath, again sense in your body the entire movement of your breath from beginning to end.
Notice the slight pause between the ending of one out-breath and the beginning of the next in-breath. Let your attention move in harmony with the movement of each breath, following its progress from your nostrils to your abdomen and the movements of your body as the breath is released.
Notice the sensation of your breath as it enters your body and passes through your throat, the expansion and contraction of your chest and the rise and fall of your abdomen.
When distracted, again simply return your attention to the next breath to begin again.
CONCENTRATION WITH PHRASES
Some schools of meditation will elect to bond particular phrases with each breath as it occurs. The purpose of this bonding is to remind us of the deeper objectives of our practice which is not to become a perfect breather nor just to achieve altered states of experience, but to awaken us and to cultivate the qualities of heart and mind that enable us to live with greater wisdom and compassion. The phrases can vary enormously; some of the frequently used phrases are ones that express particular qualities of heart and mind. As you breathe in you may silently repeat ‘breathing in calmness’, or ‘breathing in peace’ and silently repeat the utterance in harmony with the out-breath. You may choose to harmonize the phrase ‘May I be filled with peace’ or ‘May I be free from fear’ with each breath.
Again there are some fundamental guidelines to be aware of as you use phrases with your breathing. Keep them simple, too many words will make your meditation too conceptual. Use phrases that genuinely express your inner aspirations in meditation, the qualities you are seeking to cultivate or embody. Link your phrase with each breath closely, so they do not become habitual and can be founded upon a true sense of meaningfulness.
MOMENT-TO-MOMENT CONCENTRATION
This practice is focused upon developing a powerful and steady attentiveness which, instead of selecting a subject of meditation that excludes every other phenomenon that arises in the moment, is inclusive. It is a practice of cultivating a wholehearted attentiveness that is directed towards whatever aspect of our experience is most predominant in any moment. It is a fluid attentiveness that can shift between the breath, body sensations, sounds, thoughts, feelings and sights – giving to each moment an attention that is directly and clearly perceiving whatever is taking place.
In this style of moment-to-moment concentration, the breath is frequently adopted as being the central anchor of concentration where the attention rests and the focus it returns to when distracted or unsteady. When the attention is drawn away from the breath to another area of our experience that has become more predominant, such as sensations, sounds or thoughts, it is intentionally directed to that area to know clearly with bare attention whatever is being experienced. Whether the object that the attention is directed towards is a sound or a body sensation is secondary in importance; primary is the cultivation of one-pointedness, clear seeing and calmness.
Sometimes mental noting is attached to this development of bare attention. When the attention