Placing your Mindfulness upon the Breath
1.Preperation before beginning the exercise
a) Tidy up
2.The four phases of the exercise
a) Warm-up by watching the movement of air
With your best effort watch the repeated movement of air entering and leaving the body.
To assist you in this task it is recommended that you count each cycle. When the count reaches 10 return to the number one for the next cycle. If you lose the count or if you lose your attention gently return to watching the breath and begin the counting anew from the number one.
b) Focus your mind upon the breath
Watch the breath with increased attention. Continue to use counting as an aid. In this phase restrict the attention taken by counting to the part of the breath which follows the end of the outward movement of air.
c) Sharpen your focus upon your breath
Watch the breathe even more closely until you are able to be present in the moment when you are aware that air will begin to be drawn into the body. Do NOT force the beginning of the inhalation.
In fact you should avoid any attempt to manipulate the movement of the breath.
Continue to use counting as an aid to concentration.
d) Lay the mind upon the breath and rest
In the last phase give all your attention to the breath. This means that you have no attention to spare for maintaining the counting.
So stop counting.
3. Delight
Enjoy the state of being concentrated and take some time to surface gently. Re-enter daily life with a heightened awareness and take care to protect your newly awoken sensitivity from the turmoil of everyday living.
