Breath Meditation… As I see it!
This Breath Meditation article is my experience with my Breath; simplest yet the most effective meditation technique.
Mindfulness Breath Meditation is simply a practice of moving away from 70,000+ daily thoughts to just a single thought state – Breath. Breathing below 10 cycles a minute induces alpha brainwave; a state of calmness, relaxation and ultimately ‘alpha’ mindfulness breath meditation.
Only a fraction of the world’s population is formally jailed, however, complete mankind is jailed within the body. Most of us are slaves to the inevitability of our thoughts, ailments, age and death. We, due to the self and societal programming get reeled into the loop of past or future, real or imaginary bondage and the resultant consequences. We lose the understanding of being in the moment. This goes on forever…
Life stops. We exist a life of fear, pain… We end up suffering, almost always!
I am no different. I too get lost in this haze and bondage… and I try to override, go around it, whereas, all that I need is a conscious awakening – a choice to be free; a freedom from the imaginary bondage – a process of restoration and reconnection.
Breath Meditation helps me become the eternal witness of my consciousness…
I see the effect of breath meditation. As I calm the breath to a steady rhythm, I see my body respond, my mind relax and at times go beyond the body and the mind, back to the source; the transcendental source – the soul.
The process of my Breath Meditation is simple but repetitive. With every breath, I see the haze thinning, the thoughts dissipating and all I end up observing is the flow of the in and out breath. I repeat the process till I can…
I trance into Breath Meditation…
I use the Breath… I go beyond my experiences — thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations to a single pointed awareness – Breath.
Meditation re-centers me; helps me go beyond the bondage, habituation & addictions of the outwardly object consciousness. Meditation helps me reverse this consciousness and assists me go within, to be present in the moment. The tool that I use is the Breath – the connecting force of the body, mind and the soul.
Meditation frees and liberates me…
Meditation, to me, is a way to tune to our essence via a common, all pervading frequency called breath. This breath meditation is additionally a beautiful way to relax, rejuvenate and regenerate the cells and come into stillness… My Peace.
My breath meditation is simple inhalation and exhalation. I follow the body movement as I breathe; the gentle rise of the abdomen with each inhalation and fall of abdomen with each exhalation.
I let my mind, emotions and bodily sensations flow with my thoughts, with each breath. Slowly, with each breath, I start letting go of these thoughts… one by one, the awareness remaining only on the in and out breath. I don’t question, anticipate or add value to what I am doing at the time… I just breathe. I un-manifest… I become as transcendental as the source.
Anapanasati, as it is known in many Buddhist texts, means the mindfulness or awareness of breath.
The PRACTICE of Mindful Breathing…
Our breath and mind are closely connected. When our mind is calm, our breath is calmer too. On the contrary, our breath becomes irregular and heavy when we are tense.
To start with, find a room or place where you will not be easily disturbed. Switch off your mobile phones.
Sit comfortably on a chair or on the ground. Make sure that your arms are relaxed by resting them on the arms of the chair or on your thighs. One can even meditate lying down. However, if we are tired, we can fall asleep if we meditate while lying down.
Close your eyes. This will ensure that you are not distracted by means of visual images.
Close your mouth. This is to make sure that you breathe through your nose.
Breathe deeply for three or four times and feel the impact of the breath on your nostrils.
After deep breathing, breathe naturally. Focus on the incoming breath and the outgoing breath. Slowly, start being aware of the gaps between the incoming and the outgoing breaths.
Whenever you lose focus, breathe deeply for a couple of times and then resume the normal breathing. This will ensure that your focus is brought back to the breath.
Don’t judge yourself if you lose focus in between. Be gentle on yourself.
Don’t control your breath pattern. Let it flow naturally.
Mindful Breathing is considered to be the most simple of all relaxation and related practices. Regular practice of mindful breathing will bring down stress and its related ailments, and in turn, make us calm and composed.
This Breath Meditation article was submitted by a client. It was her experience. Please consult a related expert closes to where you reside.