Breathing meditation

(2015, October)
Purpose: Practicing focusing of attention using our breath.
Principles: Breathing meditation allows us to train or practice our ability to focus our
attention single-pointed in one thing using our breathing us an object. This helps to
develop a stable and focus mind having a general relaxation response (physical and
psychologic).
Motivation: Now we are going to become masters of our own mind with a short breathing
practice.
Duration: 5 - 10 minutes
Youll need: Bell (any kind of bell with a nice sound). You can replace it with other similar
items (meditation bowl, cymbals... even a bell sound recording).

Guided Meditation
1. Close your eyes
sit in a good posture
and relax
[pause]
2. Start to relax your body
very slowly
your face
your neck
your arms
your hands
your back
your legs
your feet
relax
[pause]
3. When you hear the sound of bell
you will start watching your breath
[pause]
[bell sound]
4. Don't try to control your breath
simply breathe naturally
[pause]
5. Focus your attention on your breath
[pause]
6. Focus on your breath
very relaxed
notice how your body moves with each inhalation and exhalation
notice the movement of your body as you breathe
[pause]

7. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage and belly

don't try to control your breath
simply focus your attention
[pause]

8. If your mind wanders

if you are distracted
simply return your focus back to your breath
[pause]
9. Be conscious of everything that is happening in yourself
[pause]
10. Focus on your breath
very relaxed
very gentle
[pause]
11. When you hear the sound of the bell
you will open your eyes
very slowly
[pause]
12. Now you are feeling good
very relaxed
and happy
[thanks to everybody]
Note: "If (following the breath) seems hard at first, you can substitute the method of counting your
breath. As you breathe out, count 1. Breathe in, breathe out, count 2. Continue through 10, then return
to 1 again. This counting is like a string which attaches your mindfulness to your breath. This exercise is
the beginning point in the process of becoming continuously conscious of your breath. Without
mindfulness, however, you will quickly lose count. When the count is lost, simply return to 1 and keep
trying until you can keep the count correctly." - Thich Nhat Hanh

Further reading
for the teacher
Link: http://lifehacker.com/5591576/a-guide-to-meditation-for-the-rest-of-us
A Guide to Meditation for the Rest of Us
by Kevin Purdy
Believe it or not, you can improve your concentration and slow down your day-to-day life
with meditation without ever uttering the word "chakra." Incense, yoga pants, and
annoying dinner conversation are also optional. All you need is your breath.
Why meditate, especially if you're not planning to drop everything you're doing and
Google for the closest mountain retreat? If you're anything like me, meditation will help
you realize just how far, and how fast, your mind can wander from what you're supposed
to be doing at the moment. In an age of multitasking, hyper-scheduling, and instant
internet distraction, that alone can be a huge help. Beyond just anecdotes, it's also been
suggested that meditation can actually exercise your brain's "muscles" to increase focus,
and has been shown to lower stress and increase forgiveness among college students who
take up the practice.
I am far from a meditation expertvery, very far, in fact. I've only been practicing
meditation in a formal group for a few months, and working on home practice since a
year ago. I've paid brief visits to my mind to try and calm it down in the past, but it's only
recently that I've developed an interest in learning more of the "hows" and "whys"
available to the non-monastic person. So I'm not a teacherjust an "advanced beginner,"
as some would have it, and one who's hoping to share some advice to nudge a few others
into considering the benefits of slowing down, taking time to watch what your mind is
doing, and following one's breath.
One more side note: While much of meditation derives from customs, philosophies, and
practices associated with certain faiths (Hinduism and Buddhism, in particular), the
practice of what most people know as meditation, or mindfulness, isn't indelibly tied to
religious practice. In other words, meditation is an integral part of many faiths, but those
faiths are not an integral part of meditation alone. Yoga exists in a similar sphere. Keep
an open mind.

What You'll Need

Nothing: This is a fact. Meditation requires only a willingness to concentrate on what's
happening and, in most cases, slow your mind down and follow your breath. You can do
it lying down, in a chair, or using equipment and spaces you've set aside for such practice.
Optional:
A quiet, still place: For beginners, especially, a quiet room without a lot of sensory
distractions is a big help. You'll likely practice with your eyes closed, but visual clutter can
still feel imposing and draw your mind elsewhere as you try to settle in. Music is not at all
necessaryin fact, it can be distracting at firstbut could be a helpful exercise later on.
Sitting gear, if you'd like: In the Zen tradition of meditation, one sits on a pillow, or zafu,
while you and the pillow are on top of a larger mat, or zabuton. You can find all kinds of
comfortable sets all over, made from various materials and colors. You don't need to learn
how to sit in a leg-stretching position. Beginners without great flexibility (yours included)
and exercise in sitting can sit seiza, or on your knees, or even sit in a regular chairthough
you'll likely want a pillow to more evenly distribute your weight and relax your feet. Photo
from Zen Mountain Monastery.
For more on the practice of sitting and achieving a comfortable rest, I recommend the
Zen Mountain Monastery's Zen Meditation Instructions. It's particular to the Zen/Zazen
tradition, but I've found its general advice on posture and sitting to be universally helpful.
The Basics: Following Your Breath
There are many ways to meditate. Some seem like complete contradictions"Keep your
eyes open and focus on an object or light piece of music" versus "Close your eyes and try
to focus on nothing." Whatever you tend to believe brings you to a relaxed state,
following and steadying the breath is the most universal of meditation techniques.
In The Miracle of Mindfulness, a classic text that introduces the thinking and practice
behind meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh lays out a thoughtful case for how the breath is
connected to the mind, which controls the body. By actively watching one's breath, and
evening it out, one can bring their entire being to what some call the still point. Written
less floridly, you'll be focusing on just one very important thing, and teaching your mind
how to engage one thing fully. Sounds like a skill your boss would really value, no?
5

From early in the book, Nhat Hanh writes:

The instant you sit down to meditate, begin watching your breath. At first breathe
normally, gradually letting your breathing slow down until it is quiet, even, and the lengths
of the breaths are fairly long. From the moment you sit down to the moment your
breathing has become deep and silent, be conscious of everything that is happening in
yourself.
For some of us, that's easier said than done. You start focusing on your breath, and after
a brief victory, in comes the growing waveoh shoot what about getting cash out for
lunch I totally forgot to tell Dan that I'd be late wonder if Susan replied to my email. Hanh
offers the simple, straight-ahead counter:
If (following the breath) seems hard at first, you can substitute the method of counting
your breath. As you breathe in, count 1 in your mind, and as you breathe out, count 1.
Breathe in, count 2. Breathe out, count 2. Continue through 10, then return to 1 again.
This counting is like a string which attaches your mindfulness to your breath. This exercise
is the beginning point in the process of becoming continuously conscious of your breath.
Without mindfulness, however, you will quickly lose count. When the count is lost, simply
return to 1 and keep trying until you can keep the count correctly.
Hanh goes on to suggest that controlling the breath is useful in many situations beyond
the quiet moments of meditation. I've found it helpful in the moments before having to
do any kind of public speaking, when feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of RSS
items to read through on a Monday morning, and whenever I can catch my brain trying
to seek my opinion or action on 12 different matters at once. The concept of
"mindfulness" is also discussed at length in Hanh's book, and it's very related, but it
requires a lot more space and different consideration.

Mantras, Guided Meditation, and Other Practice

HowStuffWorks provides a great overview of getting started with meditation, including a
shorter summary of following breath, and some pointers toward other techniques:
Seek inspiration: If you are inspired by Eastern spiritual traditions, you might reflect upon
an image or icon of the Buddha. You can also use a flower, crystal, or other object that
has meaning for you. Lightly allow your attention to sit there, quietly and peacefully.
Recite a mantra: A mantra literally means "that which protects the mind." So reciting a
mantra protects you with spiritual power. It is also said that when you chant a mantra,
you are charging your breath and energy with the energy of the mantra. Again, choose
something with meaning for you within your spiritual tradition: recite the Rosary, for
example. Tibetan Buddhists use a mantra for peace, healing, transformation and healing.
Do a Guided Meditation: Guided meditation is akin to guided imagery, a powerful
technique that focuses and directs the imagination toward a conscious goal. (Think of a
diver imagining a "perfect dive" before he leaves the platform.)
Photo by Theresa in MS.
You'll find a lot of guided meditations, mantra suggestions, and other resources, both free
and for sale, around the web. Stick to the freely offered tools, as they tend to be more
authentic and less confusing in intent, given the nature of those practicing mindfulness.
Zencast.org, previously mentioned in a post about a podcast introduction to basic
meditation and mindfulness, offers a wealth of meditation instruction for all levels, and
it's generally provided with a mind toward all faiths and traditions.
Meditation means a lot of different things, but at its heart is a quieting of the mind, which
can
Of particular interest to the Lifehacker set might be Zencast's meditation timers and
reminders. The first set is a collection of Flash-based and download-able audio files that
help you time your meditation sessions. The second is a collection of Windows, Mac, and
iPhone software that, basically, rings a bell or other sound on a regular basis, to remind
you to bring your focus back to one thingto collect your thoughts, if they've scattered.

There are, most likely, many other tools for computer workers that can replicate this
simple attention exercise.
For examples of specific meditation techniques put into practice, check out Ryan Irelan's
"Blue Energy" technique to beat insomnia, or a 10-minute dark room meditation
technique that's ideal for office lunch or coffee breaks.
All of these meditation techniques are just that, of coursetechniques. They don't
guarantee you'll achieve a peace of mind that strengthens your focus and resolve, but
simply help you try and get there.