Breathing Archives - Page 4 of 4

January 23, 2015 By Admin

Using Breath as Your Object of Meditation

Breath as the Object of Meditation

A Deeper Understanding

In the Satipatthana Sutra the Buddha noted that meditation practice was necessary for success on the path to liberation and enlightenment. He noted that it could take many, many years of practice to achieve this experiential goal. The good news is that Buddha also noted it could take as little time as seven days of concentrated meditation practice. Although this reality is highly unlikely, it may be possible. Another important teaching included how to follow the middle way – neither indulgence nor asceticism, neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Just stay in the middle – a central course without extremes! Part of his teaching included core information about suffering, suffering as the main unsatisfactory aspect of living. According to these teachings impermanence, attachment, desire, craving, clinging, avoiding and unwholesome thinking or acting all cause suffering; if we cannot overcome these conditioned habits, we will continue to suffer. The way out of being impacted by suffering is to practice meditation and the Eight Fold Path.

Here we sill review certain practices that use the breath as the focus of meditation attention.

The breath is a key basis for the foundation of mindfulness in the body.

The practices are listed below.

1) You may practice one-pointed attention to the flow of your breath in and out just as it is. Simply be mindfully aware of the breath.

2) You may continue to breathe freely, but now bring full attention to the flow of breath at the nostrils. In and out. In and out. Feel the air move.

3) You may also count your breaths. This may help reduce distracted thinking. By adding cognitive counting to the sensation of air flow more of the brain is focused on the breath. A good practice is to count silently from one to ten on the out-breath; hold the count until the end of the out-breath. If you lose count, catch yourself thinking about something else, or find yourself at a higher number than ten, start over at one again.

4) You may add imagery to the counting. Simply make an image of the number you are on. Hold both the sound of counting and the image until the end of the out-breath. As you become more skilled, you may add other helpful images to your practice.

5) You may say silently a word or mantra that has some helpful meaning to you. Say the word as you breathe. The word “calm” may be helpful. Or you may say “in” and “out” as you breathe. You can experiment until you find a helpful word to use.

6) You may pay attention to the feeling of the breath as it passes into and out of the chest area. Such sensation practice helps to improve an important mindfulness skill called interoception. This skill may be helpful once you are well-practiced; interoception allows you to become aware of sometimes subtle sensations in the body that may signal the coming of something dissatisfying in the very near future. With practice, you can use this skill as an early warning signal to mindfully respond to events rather than mindlessly reacting to them.

7) You may also follow the sensation, feel of the breath deep into the body. Pay attention to where your attention goes as you breathe in and out. Sometimes it is helpful to pay attention deep in the hara as the in-breath ends and the out-breath begins. The hara is located 2-3 inches below the navel and a bit into the body.

8) You may also practice sensing the sensation of the body filling on the in-breath and emptying on the out-breath. In and out. In and out. Filling and emptying. Filling and emptying.

9) You may practice by noting the impermanence of the breath. The in-breath ends, and the out-breath ends. You will never have this same breath ever again. It is pure impermanence.

10) Lastly, you may practice remaining in the present moment of the breath as you breathe in and out. The present moment – not the past r the future – is your destination right now. As you stay present, do your best NOT to judge or evaluate anything. Be careful not to enter internal storylines and conversations about life.

Practice and be happy. Breathe in and out. In and out. May you breathe well. May you improve your meditation on the breath. May you eventually become enlightened.

PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW to Download the PDF

Using Breath as Your Object of Meditation

For more information refer to Khema, A. (2014). Know Where You’re Going: A Complete Buddhist Guide to Meditation… Boston: Wisdom Publications.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE to Order!

September 7, 2014 By Admin

Choice-Making Skills

Using Meditation, Yoga and Breathing…

You can Anchor your Choice Making

A key outcome of serious practice is that you now reduce auto-pilot reactivity to people, places, things, emotions, sensations, craving, and memories and at the same time notice your mind CAN BE in charge of your brain-body reactions. Yes, regular daily mindfulness practice allows you more mind-power to make decisions on how to respond to unhelpful events in life. You notice that you are less apt to react impulsively (with habits of anger, anxiety, depression, avoidance, aggression, self-medication, etc.) and more apt to respond thoughtfully, even compassionately. To enhance these changes in HOW you live your life, how your mindful-mind helps you to respond constructively to challenges, I will suggest several regular practices below.

In 1995 T. K. V. Desikachar noted that having the capacity to intentionally direct one’s mind is a fundamentally important core mindfulness skill. I have often reminded my own secular meditation students that “You are not your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, sensations, or memories. You are beyond, more than, these random firings of brain cells.” True, all these experiences may shape us in both positive and negative ways, and if unhelpful they may cause higher levels of stress, angst, and despair. However, mind training via regular meditation or yoga practice allows your mind to slow the impulsive reactions and to THINK about (contemplate) what an appropriate response might be. As you become more wise-mind skilled, your repeated and improved responses eventually compete with habitual impulsive reactions – thereby creating helpful brain plasticity for a calmer and happier life. These changes take time to normalize in our mind and body. It is very wise to use selective attention – paying more attention to neutral and positive/helpful experiences than to negative/unhelpful experiences. Do not avoid corrective changes you may need to make, but do not focus attention on unhelpful events and realities.

The practice of Samatha or calm abiding meditation, in which your single pointed concentration is on more positive/helpful thoughts, emotions, and memories may be helpful here. Likewise practicing various meditation and yoga breathing patterns will help calm your reactive body and center you mind’s attention. Often an effective mantra can be helpful: when I notice the arising of unhelpful energy in my mind or body I often say to myself “be calm, be kind.” What mantra self-talk might be helpful to you? Sometimes bringing your focus of attention to your soft heart energy can help. Many major spiritual traditions practice contemplating/imagining white or golden-white light coming from the heart area. It may help to gently place both hands over your heart. Try this, and allow the healing light to soothe you. Other helpful practices that reduce your suffering and may increase your joy are: thinking radical acceptance regarding things you cannot change; finding more personal meaning in your life; being more self-compassionate; practicing slow, full-body body scans; doing spiritual rituals; and, resting in shavasana (lying resting pose) or yoga nidra may comfort you.

Try some of these practices. on a regular basis.

See what improvements you notice.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE to Order!

For more information refer to Nurries Stearns, M. and Nurries Stearns, R. (2013). Yoga for Emotional Trauma: Meditations and Practices for Healing Pain and Suffering. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, pp. 170-191. See also Miller, R. (2005). Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep relaxation and Healing. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.

July 18, 2014 By Admin

Mindful Approaches for Enhanced Emotion Regulation

Practice Approaches to for Mindful and Enhanced Emotion Regulation

Brought to us by way of The Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Mindful Approaches for Enhanced Emotion Regulation; here are some approaches to practice.

1)In some ways you could understand the progression from auto-pilot mind to greater stability and equanimity of mind by observing your own path in the sequence noted below. Your progress is 100% dependent upon the regularity and duration of your meditation practice, and your own preferences regarding which practices produce less resistance and more motivation in daily practice. Therefore, sitting or walking mediation, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong are all worthwhile practices in mind training.

Intention leads to:

Practicing Attention on an object – breath,etc
Reorienting Attention Back to the Object as the Mind Moves Away Over and Over Again
(Dogen’s comments – this itself is realization
Eventually Settling Down so You Can Better Focus YOUR Attention
Concentration Skills Improve as You Do/Become Daily Regular Practice
Eventually Single-Pointed Concentration Develops
Now Mindfulness Comes Out of Your Regular Practice
Mindfulness Practice Improves Your Awareness – First in Practice, Then in Daily Life
Dramatically Improved Awareness is Now Your Norm in Both Formal Practice and Informal Practice
You Have Arrived at the First Building Blocks of Practice, perhaps of Enlightenment

2) Some formats for practice attention:
• Counting breaths on the exhalation up to ten – start over if necessary
• Imagine images of the numbers as you count them 1 to 10
• When you count be sure to continue the internal speech all the way to the end of the exhalation – prevents other thoughts from distracting your attention
• With or without counting (whichever works best for you), focus your attention as your breath passes in/out of the nostrils
• Then move your attention to your chest as it moves with the breath
• Then move your attention to the lower abdomen as it moves with the breath
• Simply be with the sensation of the moving breath
• Select one location and practice with that for a while

Each step above adds aspects of the attentional training to your practice.

3) Once you have discovered which approach works best for YOU, practice that one method for a few weeks. You may also experiment with other practices/skills as you move through the skills training process.

4) As you continue your practice, be gentle but sure to extend the time duration – AND be sure to do some practice every day. no self-criticism!!

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D., LADC

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE to Order!

July 2, 2014 By Admin

Breathing Meditation Practices

From The Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation, Monkton, Vermont

– Five Breathing and Meditation Practices –

Attention and concentration on the breath are common practices to attune meditation capacity. We use the breath as an object of attention in our mind training. The better your quality of attention and concentration, the better your meditation flow. In an earlier post, I provided instructions on using breath as an object of attention in pacifying the mind.
Today I will provide brief practice instructions for four other breath meditations. These brief instructions are meant only as introductory formats.

Caution: Although it is rare, some people may become anxious when trying to do breath practices. The anxiety may have many sources: vagus nerve issues, inattention due to digital addictions, a serious anxiety disorder, unresolved traumatic experience involving breaths of submission (in limbic hippocampus memory), etc. If at any time in practicing these breathing techniques you experience strong discomfort, please STOP the practice. Be aware that even though breath re-training can be highly effective in calming a dysregulated nervous system, it is not a substitute for prescribed medical or psychological treatment you may be receiving. However, breath training may be highly compatible with such treatment. Collaborate with your healthcare provider for advice here.

1) Mindful Awareness of Your Breath As It Is

Sit in a comfortable position, either lotus style or in a straight back chair, or use a stool to sit on with your knees on a meditation mat. Keep your back and head straight, ears level with shoulders, eyes slightly open and downward in direction, and the tip of the nose lined up with your navel (Dogen’s way). Just allow your awareness to be set on the in and out movement of your breath. Do not in any way control how your are breathing. Simply allow your breath to breathe you – paying mindful attention to its flow. When your attention moves off the breath, gently return your attention back to your breath. If possible continue for at least 10-20 minutes. If your attention moves off the breath, use self-compassion to carry it back the breath. Be kind.

2) Counting the Breaths

Since mental activity (thoughts in the past or future – or even in the present) is often a common distraction in meditation practice, it may be helpful to count to ten for ten breaths. Sit comfortably in a meditative posture. On the first breath say “one” to yourself on the exhalation; this is subvocal self-talk. Make the sound of “one” in your mind last all the way to the end of the out-breath. Then begin with the next breath – saying “two” on the exhalation and holding the thought all the way to the end of the out-breath. Do this all the way up to ten for ten breaths. When you reach “ten” simply begin again with “one.” If your mind wonders off the breath before you reach ten, or you catch yourself beyond the count of ten, begin again with “one.” You may want to make an mage of the number you are saying to yourself. In this way both cognitive/verbal and visual parts of the brain are active – helping you to meditate. If your mind continues to wonder off, say the number, make an image of the number, and FEEL the flow of the breath on exhalation. If possible continue for at least 10-20 minutes. If you have difficulty, be kind and considerate to yourself – and continue!

3) Variation on Square Breathing

Sit comfortably in a good meditation posture. Begin with a couple full, deep, cleansing breaths. Then bring full concentration to how your heart and belly feel when you breath slowly and deeply. On the first full in-breath pay attention to the right side (downward) of your torso from just below the heart area down to the hara (deep belly about 2 inches below the navel and about 2 inches in). On the first out-breath pay close attention to how it feels when your attention moves (left) across the hare. On the next in-breath notice how it feels when you pay attention to it moving (upward) from the hare and up the left side of the torso to the heart area, and on the next out-breaths simply pay attention to the moving breath as you pay attention to it moving right just below the heart area. A square has been made. If possible practice for at least 10-20 minutes.

4) Gap Breathing Practice

Sit in meditative posture and take a couple full, deep, slow breaths. Now pay complete attention to the noticed GAP between the in and out breath, and between the out and in breath. Yes, there is a slight gap in time when you are not breathing. Do not worry, this gap is natural. It is simply part of our slower, deeper breathing process. Pay attention ONLY to the gap between the in/out and out/in breaths. If you can do this, go psychologically deeper into the gap. It may be bottomless! If you have problems with attention here, make an image on a gigantic, beautiful, far-away valley and pretend that your gap is in that deep, distant valley. Continue to pay full attention only to the gap between your breaths. If you have difficult, gently and self-compassionately bring your attention back to the gap and nothing else. If possible practice for at least 10-2- minutes.

Practice these four breathing meditation, and if you like one best – do that one for the fifth. Good luck on your journey.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D., LADC

Author of Mindful Happiness

CLICK HERE to Order!