When most individuals first begin breathing meditation, they struggle. Here are some of the most typical issues that develop and solutions to them.
What if I can’t discover the breach or it’s not neutral?
While most individuals feel that breathing is an excellent, dependable, neutral anchor to utilize in meditation, a few people notice that paying attention to their breathing can make them uncomfortable, even frightened. Others are concerned that they will begin to regulate their breathing if they focus more on this later.
You can utilize various anchors in meditation to focus on something other than the breath. Some people rely on sounds or body feelings. Try breathing meditation for a few weeks at first, using your breath as an anchor, and if it doesn’t work for you, feel free to explore with different anchors.
Most people who do not want to observe their breathing utilize music as an anchor. Pay attention to the sounds around you to do this. Allow the sounds to enter and exit your awareness. Don’t try to figure out where the sounds are coming from or tell a tale about them. Keep listening to the noises; when your mind wanders, return to the sounds the breath makes.
When I pay attention to my breathing, I sometimes find myself controlling it.
This is a typical occurrence in people’s lives. This complexity usually shifts over time. Try paying attention to your breath in different places, such as your abdomen, chest, and nose, to see if the same effect happens. You might also try lying down to meditate. Try to soften, relax, and “sneak up” on your breath. If it becomes too frustrating, you can change your anchor to hearing or detect changes in your body sensations. You might also try to note how a “controlled” breath feels. What is the sensed sense—the immediate experience?
Is it acceptable to mentally name the breath “in/out”?
Using a mental label to help you focus on your experience is an advantageous approach that some individuals use when meditating. You might naturally repeat words or phrases like “in/out” or “rising/falling.” Test this method and see if it works for you. If it isn’t practical, ignore it. Remember to retain any mental label as a very gentle whisper in your head. Maintain most of your concentration on feeling the breathing sensations so that the title serves merely as a tool to keep your attention focused and does not become a distraction or a new focus.
Being with the breath takes a lot of work.
Some people find paying attention to their breath tedious—certainly not as entertaining as scrolling through social media or watching television. Part of what you learn from meditation is to be interested in less dramatic things. In this hyper-accelerated, high-tech world, it can be beneficial to retrain oneself to be interested in the “boring” and “dull.” Learning to appreciate and be there for the mundane aspects of life allows you to enjoy and be present for the essential things in life, rather than continuously seeking new entertainment and experiences to excite you.
Most of us have spent 20 to 50 years or more practicing being distracted; being able to focus on your breath for a long time will not come quickly.
If you find yourself becoming bored while paying attention to your breathing, consider paying closer attention and taking an interest in the minutiae of your breathing. Take note of how the in and out breaths differ. Are two breaths the same? Can you detect a delay between the out and in breaths? Is the part of your abdomen always moving the same, or does it change with each breath? You might be astonished at how quickly boredom can pass and how easily you can apply this newfound skill to other aspects of your life.
I believe I fell asleep while observing my breath.
Sleepiness is particularly prevalent during meditation. Stay calm and confident with yourself. The most excellent cure is to practice during a time of day when you expect to be less sleepy. You can try opening your eyes, standing up, or walking in meditation.
It’s difficult for me to concentrate on my breathing.
Many meditation trainees claim that it is challenging to practice something that appears to be simple. It is important to remember that paying attention to your breathing is a challenging activity. Most of us have spent 20 to 50 years or more practicing being distracted; being able to focus on your breath for a long time will not come quickly. However, you can cultivate mental fitness by returning to the present moment repeatedly and lovingly, just as you would for physical fitness. Your mindfulness “muscle” will strengthen over time.
Practice Breathing Mindfulness
Begin this meditation by choosing a comfortable sitting location, such as a chair or a floor cushion. Take note of your posture as you sit. Keep your back straight but not tight; strive to keep comfortable. Please close your eyes, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth or wherever it feels comfortable, and place your hands on your knees or lap.
Your body’s weight, posture, and contour can then be noticed when you sit. In the current time, bring your consciousness into your body. See if you can identify the sensation of your breath as one of the sensations in your body.
Find your breath in your body, and feel your body move with it. Maintain a perfectly natural breathing pattern, not elongating or shortening it in any manner. You may detect your breath in your abdomen as you feel a rising sensation, expansion, stretching, descending sensation, constriction, or deflation. Alternatively, you may see movement, testing, and growth in your chest, similar to what you feel in your abdomen. Try not to envision or think about your breath but rather to experience it in your body. You may also notice a subtle presence of your breath in your nostrils—a cool, tingling sensation. Choose one of the three places inside your body where you feel your breath—your abdomen, chest, or nostrils—and try to focus your attention on these feelings of breath, one at a time—rising and falling or in and out.
While doing this, you may notice that your mind wanders, and you begin to think about various topics. This is entirely typical and happens to the majority of people. So, if you catch your mind straying or pondering, relax. To acknowledge that you have wandered, utter a quiet word like “thinking” or “wandering” in your head. Then, gently but firmly, return your focus to the sensations of breathing.
Do this exercise in silence for five minutes, focusing on one breath at a time, occasionally becoming lost in thought and returning to the sensations of your breath. Increase your time for this exercise when you feel drawn to do so.