Meditating on Breathing 

This page is being revised. Please bear with me.

AUDIO file of Introduction 

'Focusing on breathing' presented here is a made-easy meditation practice for training the mind to focus on what is happening NOW, rather than what happened in the past or may happen in the future. 

You started breathing the moment you were born and will continue until the last moment of your life. The 'breathing buddy' is always with you night and day, throughout your life. 

You can focus on your breathing in a variety of ways. Try the following methods with your eyes closed till you get well used to them. 

Even children can understand and practice this meditation. 

It can be practiced during your daily activities, sitting, standing, walking,  doing chores, or working at your desk.

It calms the mind, relaxes the body, and improves relationships. 

Try each of the following practices for two to three minutes, and evaluate their impact. I found that using a timer eliminates impatience and enhances the experience.

A Note

If your mind wanders during meditation, don't think your meditation failed. It is normal for even a trained mind to get some distracting thoughts. A beginner periodically gets some distracting thoughts. As soon as you realize that you are focusing on a distracting thought, quietly refocus on the coolness in the nose during the inhalation or the ever-present belly movement. None to blame and nothing to regret for the distracting thoughts entering the mind. You will see even in your initial trials that you get far fewer thoughts than you would have had you not been meditating. Despite some random distracting thoughts, you will experience a significant sense of calm.

The following are not rules. They are suggestions based on the insights I gained from my 25 years of practicing meditation and in teaching over 2000 people, from 4-year-old children to people in their nineties, from a variety of cultures and religions. 

This meditation practice is free from rules, clichés, teachers, organizations, dogmas, and apps. 

It aims to be a self-help guide for making the dream of daily meditation a reality for every aspiring person.

Counting Breaths Meditation BROCHURE PDF

Click the above link

Feeling mode

In this mode, you focus your attention on the ever-changing natural breathing — inhalations and exhalations.  You have many options. 

* Coolness in the nose

Feel the natural, slightly cool sensation in the nose during every inhalation and the relatively warm or neutral sensation during exhalation.

* Belly movement, placing a hand

Place a hand on the dress over your belly and focus on its ever-changing movement and sensations due to its expansion and contraction, as you breathe in and out.

* Belly movement without placing a hand

Focus on the ever-changing movement and sensations of the belly during its expansion and contraction without placing a hand.  

* Combination

Feel either the coolness in the nose or the belly movement and sensations. Let your attention switch freely between the coolness in the nose and the belly sensations.

* Upgrades

You can enhance your focus on breathing by bringing the body into action whenever it is practical. You can use the following upgrades individually or combine them.  

Meditation Finger Lock

Rest your hands comfortably on your legs, palms up. Let the tip of the thumb be in gentle contact with the tip of the index finger. Let the other three fingers be stretched out and touching each other. Keep them this way throughout the practice period. In this practice, your attention can freely shift between the coolness in the nose, belly sensations, or finger sensations in the hands. 

Sit erect on a chair

Adjust the seat height so that your hips are 1 to 2 inches higher than your knees. If necessary, place a cushion on the chair. Move forward and sit at the front edge of the chair. Let your feet rest flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Adjust their placement to keep your back comfortably erect and stable. Keep your head tall, not drooping forward or to a side. Rest your hands on your legs, palms up. Adjust all the above positions to sit in this posture for long periods without strain. 

If your mind wanders, quietly refocus by practicing the combination option.

Counting mode

In this mode, we count the natural breaths as they happen. 

* Repeat counting

Step 1: During the first inhale, feel the natural cool sensation in the nose. During the exhale, slowly repeat the word 'One' throughout the exhale. It may go like — 'One', 'One', 'One' ... so on. 

There is no rule for how many times to repeat. The number of repetitions will depend on the length of the natural exhale. When you practice for an extended time, your breathing rate will be lower, and exhalations will be longer.  

Step  2: During the next inhale, feel the cool sensation. During the exhale, slowly repeat the word 'Two' throughout the exhale. It may go like — 'Two', 'Two', 'Two', ...so on. 

Step 3: During the next inhale, feel the cool sensation. During the exhale, slowly repeat the word 'Three' throughout the exhale. It may go like — 'Three', 'Three', 'Three', ...so on. 

Repeat the above three steps as long as you like, starting every time with 'One' and ending with 'Three'.  

TIPS

There is no minimum or maximum time for practice. You decide how long you want to practice and set the timer accordingly. 

It is important to allow natural breathing to happen. Don't make any effort to change the inhalations or the exhalations. Let the breaths be slow or fast, deep or shallow. They may change on their own.

During the practice sessions, count the numbers, making a sound. At other times, count silently in your mind. If it's practical, you can count using your lips without making a sound.

You will feel calm within two minutes of practicing while sitting on a chair in your habitual posture. 

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History of 'Counting breaths meditation'

‘Counting breaths’ is an ancient technique taught by the Buddha 2500 years ago. I made two adaptations of the ancient technique to help a broader population.

One is using the fingers like prayer beads. Keeping the count on the fingers leashes the mind better than counting breaths in the mind. 

The second is to practice lying in bed at night and immediately upon waking up. This adaptation makes it ‘excuse-free’. The bedtime practice improves sleep from day one. Whoever tries it gets better sleep and gets hooked on it. They can't help practicing at bedtime. 

These adaptations made it accessible to people of all ages, cultures, and religions.

The breathing practices presented here are not related to Yogic breathing practices. Yogic breathing requires us to conform to the guidelines. We have to learn them from a trained teacher to avert potential harm from wrong practice.

In contrast, counting breaths as suggested above doesn't prescribe a pattern for breathing. One exception is the 911 mode. 

We watch the breaths like watching the waves in the ocean, sitting on the beach. We don't try to change the breaths. 

This meditation is safe, whatever way you do it.

Even children can learn in a short time. They love it and benefit from it.

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Tip mode

Start with any one hand, say the left hand. Touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. Count three breaths as explained above. Repeat this practice at each of the next three fingertips. When you get to the thumb, place the tip of the index finger at the base of the thumb and count three breaths. 

Then switch to the right hand and repeat all the steps. Practice switching hands as long as you like.

In this mode, you will breathe 3 breaths per finger i.e., 15 breaths on each hand. 

'Counting mode of meditation' on Youtube.

'Counting breaths meditation using the Finger tips' on Youtube.

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Segment mode

Start with any one hand, say the left hand. Note that every finger has two cross lines dividing it into three segments. Place the tip of the thumb at the top segment of the little finger and count three breaths as explained above. Move the thumb down to the middle segment of the same finger and count three breaths.  Move down to the bottom segment and count three breaths. Release the little finger. 

Repeat the same steps on the next three fingers. 

When you get to the thumb, place the tip of the index finger on its segments and repeat the steps. 

Then, switch to the right hand and repeat the steps. Practice switching hands as long as you like.

In this mode, you will count 3+3+3 breaths at each finger.

'Counting mode of meditation' on Youtube.

'Segment mode of meditation' on Youtube.

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Staring Meditation

Keep staring at a small mark on the wall or part of an object, at eye level or lower, that is easy to focus on.

At the same time, practice any of the above modes.

Focusing the eyes focuses the mind and reduces stress.

Watch 'Staring mode' on Youtube.

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911  Meditation

You can practice this mode with your eyes closed or open.

Breathe in through the nose to a count of four: 1-2-3-4.

Partly close your lips as if you are holding a straw between them.

Blow through the partly closed lips to a count of six: 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Repeat about 10 times or till you gain some relief from the acute mental or physical stress.

Then, practice any other mode for a longer period. Continue until the acute stress becomes manageable.

Repeat the sandwich practice as many times as needed.

Watch '911 mode' on Youtube.

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Webinar on 'Counting breaths meditation'  - 1 hour

Click the above title.

Resonance breathing (aka 'Coherence breathing')

In this mode, we regulate the breathing to make a deep impact on the body and mind. Click the above title for the details. 

More options for 'Meditation on breathing'

Over many years, some practitioners, including me, experimented with other modes. Click the above title for their details. 

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Questions? Contact me.

Related pages

When can I practice?