<p dir="ltr">You don't have to focus too maniacally on your breath; your body is part of the process, too. Our good buddy Joseph Goldstein shows you how to balance. </p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/">Joseph Goldstein</a> is a cofounder of the <a href="https://www.dharma.org/">Insight Meditation Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/">Barre Center for Buddhist Studies</a>, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, <a href="http://give.dharma.org/JGpoetry">Dreamscapes of the Mind</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">This meditation is part of a new series on the Eightfold Path. The rest of the series is available on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: <a href="http://wakingup.com/tenpercent">wakingup.com/tenpercent</a>, you'll get a 30-day free trial—and you'll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's newsletter <a href="http://www.danharris.com">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-0ff52cb4-7fff-0f98-46b8-10348b1e3d13">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></strong></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Calm Mind, Collect Attention
Begin your meditation practice by calming your mind and collecting your attention, as this is the foundational first step.
2. Allow Natural Breath Rhythm
Let your breath find its own natural rhythm, as this practice is an exercise in awareness, not a breathing exercise.
3. Avoid Controlling Breath
Do not focus on the breath so much that you try to control or influence it, as this is not a breathing exercise.
4. Frame Breath with Whole Body
Instead of initially zeroing in on specific breath sensations, use the awareness of the whole body as a larger frame for your meditation.
5. Use ‘There Is A Body’ Reminder
Use the phrase ’there is a body’ as a soft mental note or gentle reminder to settle into the awareness of your body sitting.
6. Relax into Whole Body Awareness
Incorporate relaxation into your practice by relaxing into the awareness of the whole body, as this is an important part of developing steadiness of mind.
7. Connect and Sustain Breath Attention
Develop steadiness of mind by connecting your attention with the beginning of each breath and sustaining it for the entire duration of that half breath.
8. Gently Return Wandering Mind
When you notice your mind has wandered, simply acknowledge it and very gently return your attention to the breath.
9. Always Begin Again
View the act of returning your attention when your mind wanders as simply ‘beginning again,’ fostering a gentle and persistent practice.
10. Soft Mental Notes for Breath
Make very soft mental notes like ‘in,’ ‘out,’ ‘rise,’ or ‘fall’ with each breath to help connect and sustain attention.
11. Keep Notes Very Soft
If using mental notes for breath, keep them very soft, like a whisper in the mind, to maintain primary attention on the sensations.
12. Focus on Breath Sensations
Ensure your primary attention is on the actual feeling of the sensations of the breath, wherever you may be feeling them in the body.
13. Accept Any Breath
Understand that there is no such thing as a ‘wrong breath,’ which helps in letting the breath find its natural rhythm without judgment.
14. Trust Body’s Natural Breath
Trust that your body will breathe naturally by itself, meaning there is nothing you actively need to do in order to breathe during meditation.