Observation Meditation based on Breathing
A meditation for beginners that goes a little further than the count your breaths meditation and not only teaches you how to concentrate but also to observe.
| Follow your Breath Meditation |
| Kind of meditation |
Concentration/observation |
| Degree of difficulty |
more advanced students |
| Recommended duration |
5 to 45 minutes |
| Posture |
Sitting |
| Advantages |
- It improves your concentration
- It gives you a clear, calm mind
- It improves your breathing
- It removes feelings of stress
- It makes you get to know your body
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| Remark |
It is a sequel to the count your breaths meditation.
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This meditation is a little more difficult than the Count your Breaths Meditation of the Concentration Techniques. We try to focus on the rhythm of our breathing. Follow your breath from the point where your breath enters your nose. Follow the breath into your lower belly. Then follow your breath again to your nose where the breath leaves the body. In this way there is one object of meditation, while at the same time you are not focussed on a stationary point.
In this meditation we direct our focus to the observing of everything that has to do with our breathing. We can pay attention to the way in which the air passes through your nostrils in and out or the expanding and shrinking of your belly with every breath. If you like you may switch your attention between your nose and your belly, but the best thing to do is to maintain your focus during your entire meditation. Every time we wander away in our mind we return to our breathing and we focus our attention again on our nose or our belly.
Do not be afraid! Thoughts, dreams and all sorts of diversions will most certainly enter your mind during your meditation. This is quite normal and only goes to show how active our mind is. In the course of time you will certainly succeed in focussing your attention on your breathing uninterruptedly for ever longer periods and to deepen your meditation. There is a good chance you will start to enjoy the sensations brought about by your breathing. Discovering things like twinklings, dizziness, goose-flesh or a warm feeling in certain areas is quite possible and you should not be alarmed by this. It is all part of the experience and goes to show that your body is getting relaxed. If you are bothered by the twinklings, just stop for a while until they are over and then continue.
Also try to experience the connection between relaxation and breathing during this meditation. See how your body reacts to breathings in and breathings out and how your body behaves as the relaxation gets deeper. As is the case with every form of meditation we try not to judge, we try not to get angry when things do not go so well and we try not to be too goal-oriented. Let us begin!
Follow your Breathing Exercise
- Sit down, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Be aware of every breathing in and breathing out. Breathe automatically and freely, do not try to control your breathing.
- Pay attention to how the air slowly passes through your nose, fills up your lungs and goes out again.
- Try to find out whether you breathe through your belly, your diaphragm or the upper part of your chest.
- If, after taking a few breaths, you feel fine and at ease you start to focus.
- With every breathing in you focus on the sensations that you feel when the air streams in through your nose or when the air fills up your belly.
- With every breathing out you focus on the sensations that you feel when the air streams out through your nose or when your belly sinks down when the oxygen leaves your belly.
- If you start to think of something else instead of your breathing or you start to feel something else instead of your breathing, be aware of this and just return to your focus.
- Breathe automatically and freely, do not try to control your breathing.
- Try to become totally one with your breathing.
- Focus on the sensations that you feel when the air streams in through your nose or how the air fills up your belly.
- Focus on the sensations that you feel when the air streams out through your nose or how your belly sinks down when the oxygen leaves your belly.
- Is the temperature of the breath that leaves your nose different from the breath that you breathe in?
- If all of a sudden you notice twinklings in your body or relaxation reactions in your muscles, that is fine……notice it and return to your breathing.
- Continue doing this until the time that you have set apart for this exercise is over.
- Now slowly take your thoughts back to the rest of your body and the sounds in the room. Move a little, stretch your muscles a little and open your eyes.
- Finished!
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Basics & Backgrounds
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