Manifestation Mastery

Meditation Practices That Focus on the Breath

One of the simplest and oldest forms of meditation involves simply focusing on each and every breath. In some forms of meditation practice, the instruction is to focus only on the out breath. The reason for the out breath focus is that when people first sit down to meditate, they often become so relaxed they nod off. By focusing only on the out breath, attention is drawn back again and again to the breath itself. This added concentration helps the meditating person to stay awake and stay in the moment. Try it for a just five minutes: You will see that it is more challenging that it sounds initially. You don’t have to adopt a full lotus position or get into any special clothes or situation. Start by just sitting with good posture in a comfortable (but not too comfortable!) chair. Take ten deep in and out breaths to relax your body, then begin to simply notice your out breath. If thoughts come into your mind, let them, but try not to analyze or identify with them, just let them float through your mind like clouds float through a clear sky. Continue to focus lightly on your out breath only. You can close you eyes but you do not have to close them. In fact, in some ways it is better if you keep them slightly open. This will prevent you from drifting off to sleep. For a good basic primer on this technique, check out Bodhisattva Mind by the first American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron.

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