Questions tagged [meditation-breath]

Questions concerning meditation which focuses on the breath. This could be advice around certain aspects of this practice or questions around relevant texts such as the Anapanasati Sutta,

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Anapanasati: Mindful Breathing Concentration Point

I have been practicing mindfulness of breathing for some time. But I am having doubt regarding my practice. When I focus on a single point on nostril and keep attention there, and note natural ...
Nyan's user avatar
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13 votes
5 answers
2k views

The object of meditation

I have been focused on the breath in meditation and I am interested in Vipassana, but I am confused about the object of meditation. I have read that you focus on the breath and as thoughts arise, you ...
Steve H.'s user avatar
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11 votes
5 answers
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Anapanasati Buddhist meditation

So I thought I really need to ask this question about Buddhist meditation specifically, Anapanasati. Basically I sit cross legged and count breaths for 15 minutes as advised on the Internet for ...
esh's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
791 views

Application of sixteen contemplations in the anapanasati sutta

I've had a regular morning meditation practice (15 minutes or so, longer when I can) for about 12 months now, and I have a question about the sixteen contemplations as explained in the anapanasati ...
user593's user avatar
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10 votes
4 answers
2k views

Panic arising in meditation

I am a relatively new (about four months) meditator. My meditation technique is closing my eyes and focusing on the sensation of the breath as it passes in and out of my throat. Today I was ...
Ian's user avatar
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9 votes
4 answers
474 views

How to breathe?

I might like some advice about breathing. A doctor implied that I'm not very good at breathing: i.e. that I have "central sleep apnea" which probably means that the part of the brain-stem that ...
ChrisW's user avatar
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9 votes
11 answers
1k views

How can you see suffering in the breath?

In his book Breath by Breath, Larry Rosenberg says that being mindful of the breath, as in the Anapanasati Sutta, is a complete practice and can lead to complete liberation. Following on from that I ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
8 votes
5 answers
2k views

In the Anapanasati Sutta what is meant by 'sensitive to rapture/bliss'?

Considering these verses of the Anapanasati Sutta He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to rapture.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to rapture.' He trains ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
8 votes
6 answers
767 views

In the Anapanasati Sutta, what is the difference between mind and mental processes?

The book Breath by Breath by Larry Rosenberg splits the Anapanasati Sutta into 4 tetrads. The wildmind website does a similar thing. In the second tetrad there is a verse that is rendered He trains ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
7 votes
6 answers
2k views

Can't notice the breath

I can't find the breath (sometimes I can, but the majority of the time I can't) I can't notice the rising and falling of the stomach even when lying and putting my hand on it and also to notice the ...
breath's user avatar
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7 votes
6 answers
1k views

What to focus on between breaths

i've been trying to practice following the whole length of the in-breath and the whole length of the out-breath, and i can see that my attention often slips between the breaths. Any thoughts on what ...
sunyata's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
315 views

During insight meditation, what does the meditator note in-between the rising and falling of the abdomen?

I practice insight meditation (Theravada tradition), noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. It was suggested that one should make a mental note once per second, neither too frequently, nor too ...
László Tankó's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
292 views

What are the Ānāpānasati Kammaṭṭhāna as Taught By Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero

I am curious to know how Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero teachers Ānāpānasati. Does he follow the 16 stage instructions or perhaps something similar to the 8 step method1 or combination of both or ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

What are the steps in Mindfulness of Breathing meditation?

I would like to have a detailed list of the steps in Mindfulness of Breathing meditation. What is a good suggested duration?
user317706's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is watching the heart beat (instead of watching the breath) a known form of meditation?

In Anapana there is no regulation of the breath. As I understood it, it's meant not to control your breath while meditating, but just let flow. Sometimes it's difficult for me not to control it, so I ...
draks ...'s user avatar
  • 377
6 votes
2 answers
141 views

Breath patterns in texts

What is the canonical reference if I wanted to read about breath patterns and their mapping to specific mind states? A while back I came across an online text which contained some very hard-to-...
Buddho's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is Anapanasati considered Samatha?

I'm new to Buddhism, and I have some trouble understanding some core aspects on meditation. Is Anapanasati considered Samatha or Vipassana?
Jordy van Ekelen's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
380 views

Detachment in breathing meditation

I read this answer, and it made me wonder something deeply; the answer seemed to imply strenuous or volitional attention was inferior to watching the mind for breath meditation, and that merely ...
user avatar
5 votes
8 answers
1k views

Meditation - how to breathe naturally?

Just starting with meditation, I can't get the breathing right. As soon as I concentrate on breathing (as there is not much else to concentrate on), I unvolunteraly assume concious control over when ...
Zsolt Szilagy's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
166 views

More self control - Beginners

Most of the time we are under control of our mind and old habits.If a beginner wants to break the old habits and get more control of it.From where do they should start ?
Saurabh Padwekar's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
122 views

What happens to my body when I breathe out?

It is suggested, that one concentrates on the breath while meditating. It is also suggested that one breathes out and remains in this state for a moment, to feel the emptiness. What happens to my body ...
draks ...'s user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
3k views

Meditation and Mouth breathing

Some meditation techniques use the nostrils as a point of concentration, others only mention that we should breathe via the nose. Many people have problems with that and can only breath through their ...
konrad01's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
366 views

Body feels like crying

After stressful events that I'm unaccustomed to, or after strenuous workout, my body feels as if it wants to cry. I am unable to produce the tears to "cry it out", but my body feels it. This started ...
Rhonda's user avatar
  • 289
5 votes
3 answers
695 views

Being bored :anapanasati meditation

How to overcome feeling bored while doing anapanasati meditation ? I get this feeling after setting sati at the end of the nose and body is calmed .
nish1013's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
4k views

Attention to the breath: sensations at the nostrils vs sensations at the abdomen, as they relate to serenity and insight

During sitting meditation, I attempt to anchor attention to the breathe. I have read about anchoring on the sensation(s) of the breathe at the nostril, and I have read about anchoring on the rise and ...
PaPa's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
246 views

Ways to strengthen the perception of the breath

I would like to hear all the ways to strengthen the feeling of the breath so i will know when it enters the body and when it leaves it i tried to put a hand on the stomach and feel the air go out ...
breath's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
866 views

What are the physiological effects of mindfulness based meditation?

I was meditating on the breath recently and I noticed that my breath slowed to a significant extent (not a huge insight admittedly). So this made me wonder if anyone has measured the effects of ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
269 views

What other suttas instruct how to do Anapanasati, apart from the Anapanasati Sutta?

Anapanasati is mainly covered in the Anapanasati Sutta. Some of these instructions (perhaps additional instructions) are also written elsewhere: for example in the Anapana Samuthiya, Girimananda ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
211 views

Sati-Sampajañña and a quiet mind

Is it the case that a quiet mind can best execute Sati-Sampajañña because there are no interfering thoughts disturbing it? If the answer is yes, should the main concern in day-to-day life be to ...
Val's user avatar
  • 2,560
4 votes
3 answers
451 views

Awareness of two things

I started to read Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (the PDF, version 3). Before page 22, there's some text which says that (I paraphrase) sensations are fleeting and that consciousness-of-...
ChrisW's user avatar
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4 votes
5 answers
713 views

How does one calm one's bodily fabrications?

I personally start looking at the speed of the breath and then it slows down. In the Tripitaka are there recommended methods to accomplish this? What do different teachers and commentaries say about ...
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
208 views

Is it not recommended to change the object of meditation during a short session?

Sometimes I tend to switch my attention from the nostrils to the "up and down" of the chest/stomach It depends on how well I'm breathing (I have serious problem with the nostrils, it can only be 100% ...
konrad01's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
238 views

How to stay mindful of the gap in the breath

When I breathe there's a certain time gap after the out breath and before the in breath. I find myself being dull or distracted at that time because there's no breath to notice. Do I notice the lack ...
Matan Tsuberi's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
406 views

Lack of Grasping of the Object of Meditation

I asked a question previously about the object of meditation being faint. Perhaps I'd like to reformulate my question more specifically as I still encounter these kinds of problems, and I will provide ...
user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
162 views

How to balance an attitude of "effortless non-striving" with proper posture?

In Karma-Chagme's book, "A Spacious Path to Freedom", he emphasizes the importance of correct posture in directing the vital energies to the central channel. In particular, he mentions (1) the tongue ...
Daniel Seth's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Strong blood flow when meditating

I am currently following a vipassana retreat at Panditarama Lumbini (where you are asked to notice the rise and fallings of the abdomen). The first 5 days were OK (even if I maybe was pushing too much ...
David Portabella's user avatar
3 votes
6 answers
638 views

How to realise "anatta" of "Nama-rupa"

By noticing my abdomen while breathing , I can feel up and down movement of it . Also I can keep a mental notes as "up" and "down". When it is up there is "rupa of up" and "Nama of up mental note " ...
nish1013's user avatar
  • 1,207
3 votes
4 answers
492 views

How can the sensations of the meditation object (attention to the breath) be made more noticeable?

While practicing sitting vipassana meditation, using the felt sensations of the abdomen rising and falling with each breath as the meditation object, there is the frequent flood of mental images ...
PaPa's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
252 views

To what extent can Ānāpānasati be related to Vipassanā?

I've read that the two can somehow be used in Unison, with benefit. Can anyone expand on this?
William's user avatar
  • 185
3 votes
6 answers
4k views

Hard to breathe during meditation

I started with a new goal: meditate for a month daily and it reminds me of my experiences during group meditations in the past. After relaxing the body, it gets very hard to breathe, my chest feels ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
180 views

Beginner Buddhist Breathing?

Buddhists, I am told, value the practice of paying attention to breathing. I think I'm going to give it a try while I go about my day ... it can't hurt. What are the benefits? Are there beginner ...
user2970938's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
340 views

How to differentiate between natural vs artificial breathing pattern during meditation?

When we do a simple observation of breath (in & out) during meditation, how to know if its natural flow I am observing or forced one? Regards
Pritam's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
732 views

What does "nose breath" mean?

What does the following mean? You should not try to find the point where the moving air strokes the nostrils, but keep your focus at the nose breath. This comes from the followingpage that was ...
Titsiana Booberini's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
102 views

Faintness of Object of Meditation

I started meditating recently formally, after a while of non-formal meditation, and I'm realizing that the objects I meditate on, either the breath or an image, are extremely faint. In the case of the ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
130 views

Idea of the Breath

I heard a few times the notion that in meditation one must focus on the sensations of breathing (which seems to make sense to me) but not the idea of the breath. What would be the 'idea' of the breath?...
user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
525 views

Unnecessarily Complicated Analysis of Anapanasati

Alright, I'm having a lot of unnecessary trouble, and would like some advice regarding anapanasati. I've attempted to understand the technique as with the Anapanasati Sutta, with The Attention ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
102 views

Why will-power could not be used to regulate kaya , vedana and citta?

I found the below from the book Mindfulness with Breathing: A Manual for Serious Beginners http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-Breathing-Manual-Serious-Beginners/dp/0861711114 The Thai word ...
nish1013's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
483 views

What is the best of Jhanas and breathing meditation?

I have heard two ways off approaching mindfulness of breathing: Breath in a inhale-pause-exhale-pause pattern, focusing on the sensations of the breath at the nostrils and the silences at the pauses ...
thom's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
3 answers
230 views

Why sitting meditation, and is vippasana and breath meditation sufficient?

Why do we have to watch body sensations separately by sitting meditation, when even in our daily life we are experiencing sensations moment to moment (and realizing everything is vibrating in our body)...
Bhargav Patel's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
279 views

Breath getting shorter and shorter

Practice : Meditation using breath I'm practicing sitting meditation using breath according to Thai Forest Tradition method. Mentally reciting of "Buddho" . I practice at home so would like to get ...
nish1013's user avatar
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