To reach a meditative state, conscious breathing is essential. Focusing on your breath is an ancient practice that helps calm the mind and find inner peace. Breathe deeply through your nose, avoid long pauses between inhaling and exhaling, and never hold your breath.
Let your breath flow freely and calm yourself to reach the spiritual peace necessary for meditation. Focus on your breath – this will help free you from distracting thoughts. You can observe or count your breaths: Always count from 1 to 10 and then start over. Odd numbers – one, three, five, seven, nine – represent inhaling; even numbers – two, four, six, eight, ten – represent exhaling.
You can also count only the inhalation – this prevents distraction or fatigue and helps overcome drowsiness. When focusing on your breathing, pay particular attention to the exhalation. While counting your breaths, nothing is more important than this moment.
Proper Breathing
- Think of nothing while breathing, focus on your abdomen, and feel the air going deeper and deeper.
- Don’t pause during exhalation. Let the air out slowly along with all your thoughts.
- Remember: Odd numbers = inhale, even numbers = exhale.
- If it’s hard to let go of your thoughts, try counting only the inhalations.
- If you feel sleepy, try counting only the exhalations.
This article is based on the book “Zen – Way to Enlightenment. Aid to Understanding. Introduction to Meditation” by Hugo M. Enomiya-Lassalle.
