BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEDITATION ON THE BREATH

By Pat Coffey 2006

Settle into the body. Experience what it is like to be alive in this body at this moment. Feel the vibration of life. Survey the “mood” states today…today’s weather. Energetic? Calm? Tired? Anxious? Peaceful? Fearful? Etc.. Don’t try to change anything, just notice.

Reflect for a minute or two some elements in your life that you are grateful for. “Feel” what gratitude really feels like. Bask in that feeling.

To further enhance receptivity bring a “smile” into the mind, eyes, lips and heart.

Experience some of the “touch points” of the body. The pressure on the sitting bones, the touch of feet on the floor, the touch of the hands wherever they are resting, the touch of the clothing and touch of the air moving across exposed skin are all “touch points”.

Open to sound. Resting back like a satellite dish, not chasing the sounds, very alert and accepting of whatever sounds are occurring. Hearing with the quality of “bare attention”, feeling the energy of the sound without trying to analyze, categorize or figure the sound out. Allowing the sound to “wash through” un-resisted. Allowing yourself to be massaged by the sound.

Notice that breathing is happening…..by itself. Explore the breath today. What is it like? Long? Short? Deep? Shallow? Smooth? Coarse? Forced? Easy? Etc.. Find the portion of the breath that is most predominant and comfortable for you and make that portion of the breath the “refuge”, the “anchor” or “home base” for this sitting period. Rest in your anchor and observe all the nuances of today’s breath. Experience the gently rocking motion of the breath, the primordial ebb and flow of the breath. You may want to try supporting the mind being with the breath by using a quiet notation in the mind like rising-falling or in-out etc. Noting with a voice in the mind about as heavy as a dragonfly’s wing. Bring yourself up close to the breath. Be snug but gentle with it like a baby carried in a snuggly.

When the mind is pulled away from the breath (which is OK and completely natural), recognize what it has grasped onto. Make a soft mental note “thinking” or “hearing” etc.. Release the grip of the mind gently without harshness or recrimination and slowly without haste return to land gently in the breath. When returning to the breath you may want to relax the facial muscles and release any felt tension in the body on your non-hurried way back to the breath. Return again and again. No hurry. No place to go.

If at any time you feel confused or you are starting to get very tight, throw open your awareness to experience the touch points of the body or sounds. Relax back and just feel the sensations of the touch points or allow the sounds to wash through for a while. When you feel settled again go back to the breath.

Helpful Hint: If as you are noticing today’s “internal weather” i.e. “sleepy, tired sluggish” pay particular attention to the in-breath. The in-breath brings energy into the system, oxygen to all the cells. Paying specific attention here will, in many cases, enliven the system and our attention becomes sharper. If on the other hand you feel anxious, restless or nervous pay particular attention to the out-breath. The out-breath is a “letting go”, a releasing of tension.