How to meditate. Part 3 of 4.

In the past, people thought that the breath was the force that gave all things life. When you follow your breath with awareness, you're not only bringing your body and mind into harmony, which gives you a sense of inner harmony and wholeness, but you're also exploring the living frontier where your body, mind, and spirit meet and tuning into a spiritual dimension of being. You might want to spend a few weeks or months just counting your breaths before you start following your breath. It's a great way to improve your ability to focus and has a set structure that keeps reminding you when you're getting off track. If you want to try something new or are already pretty good at focusing, you can start by following your breath. Use your gut to figure out which method will work best for you.

Keeping track of your breath.

Finds a comfortable way to sit that you can stay in for 10 or 15 minutes. Then take several deep breaths and slowly let them out. Don't try to control your breath in any way. Instead, let it find its depth and rhythm on its own. Breathe through your nose. Now, start counting each time you breathe in and out. When you reach ten, go back to one. Count "one" when you inhale, "two" when you exhale, "three" when you inhale again, etc. If you get lost, go back to one and start over. To help you focus, you might find it helpful to think about the number the whole time you inhale or exhale instead of thinking about it quickly once and then letting it go. For example, let "o-o-o-n-n-e" last as long as the inhale, "t-w-o-o-o-o" last as long as the exhale, and so on. You may also find it helpful, especially at first, to whisper the numbers to yourself, saying "one" as you breathe in, "two" as you breathe out, and so on. This exercise seems ridiculously easy. However, you may be surprised that you can't get to ten without losing count or that you go on autopilot and find yourself on breath 59. You don't have to do anything to stop your mind from talking. But if your thoughts get in the way and you forget to breathe, come back to one and start over. After a month or two of regular practice, you can switch to counting only the exhales when you know how to count each inhale and exhale. During the inhalations, if your mind starts to wander, just go back to the first method until you feel ready to move on.

Keeping track of your breaths

Sit down and breathe the same way you did when you were counting your breaths. When you feel calm, let your mind focus on the feeling of your breath coming in and out of your nose or on how your belly rises and falls as you breathe.

When you start paying attention to your breath on purpose, you may be surprised and a little frustrated to find that your body tenses up and your breathing becomes stiff, laboured, and not natural. You suddenly forget how to breathe, even though you've been doing it well since your first breath. You're not doing it wrong. You just need to learn to use your awareness in a lighter, gentler way so that you can follow your breath instead of controlling it. You might find it helpful to start by paying attention to your breathing, but you don't have to try to follow it from breath to breath. Notice what happens when you breathe: how your rib cage rises and falls, how your belly moves, and how the air goes in and out of your nose. Some breaths may be longer and deeper than others. Some may go down into your belly, while others may only reach your lungs' top before leaving again. Some may be rough and strong, while others may be smooth and weak. What did you learn that you didn't already know? How is each breath different from the one before? When you feel comfortable with your breath, you can start counting your breaths or keeping track of them.

Some people find it almost impossible to count their breaths or keep track of them. So, when they meditate, they think about their whole body. You can start by slowly moving your awareness down your body, from your head to your feet. Then, you can switch to being aware of your whole body at once. Just bring your mind back to your body when it wanders. Or, you can use Zen to focus on a certain part of the body, like the lower back or lower abdomen. Stick with a focus that works for you once you've found it. The goal is to get better at being mindful, not to wander around your body looking for a spot to meditate. Give your full attention to the coming and going of your breath, persistently, softly but precisely, with relaxed but focused awareness. When you notice that your mind has wandered and you're planning, thinking, or daydreaming, bring it back to your breath gently but firmly. At the end of your exhalation and before you take a new breath, there's often a gap or pause where you can't hear your breath. You can let your attention rest on a predetermined touchpoint, like your belly button or your hands, and then go back to your breath when it starts again.

During meditation, your mind will continue to race with thoughts and images, but don't worry about it. Just keep coming back to your breath calmly and steadily. Over time, you might become interested in how your belly and ribcage move and open, change shape as you breathe, or the way your breath caresses the tip of your nose, tickles your nostrils and cools your nasal passages as it comes in and goes out. You may also notice that when you exhale or breathe in, your mind tends to quiet down, or your thoughts change. By tuning in to a more subtle level of experience while you meditate, you can learn to appreciate each moment of life as it happens more subtly.

Come back tomorrow for the 4th and final part.

Be well.

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