Meditation on breathing is one of the most widely practiced Buddhist meditation techniques. It was devised and developed by the Buddha himself and he taught it during his lifetime. For 2,500 years it has been commonly studied both by monks and laypeople. During our time together, Ajahn taught me a meditation based on breath that simply focuses on one’s breath and allows people to live in a state of clarity. Ajahn explained that our breath is always with us. Although it is portable and free, it is also overlooked. Many of us look toward people and pills to better ourselves when we have this gift within us that can eliminate many of the problems related to anxiety, stress, depression, etc. The notion of simply focusing and feeling your breath in and out of your nose can eliminate hindrances. This single meditation changed my mind, which caused a paradigm shift in my life and allowed me to start living my daily life in a state of clarity. Though it might seem easy to simply feel your breath, it is in fact the furthest thing from easy. 

Ajahn stated that in our current and historical punishment system, we make the worst criminals—whether they be thieves, rapists, or even murderers—sit alone in an empty room with themselves and their breath (solitary confinement). This is the worst type of punishment according to Ajahn because all you are left with is yourself: only your thoughts and your breath. Many people would and do drive themselves mad in this setting. Any person who didn’t have control over their mind would do the same. Now, he said, when we’re doing this meditation, we are following the same routine as those prisoners. Even though we have a different reason for being in this setting, we’re still putting ourselves in a situation akin to the one used to break down the world’s most dangerous people. If we are doing what serves as the world’s worst punishment, we truly should not think for a second it will be easy. However, if you are still interested in knowing the meditation that changed my life and changed the lives of many monks and people throughout history, then continue to read. 

First, for this meditation to work and for you to actually experience the beauty behind it, you need to pick a duration of time in which you can do this meditation every day; as with everything in life, you have to do it consistently and with intent to actually gain the intended benefits. Therefore, before you start, honestly pick a duration of time when you know you can consistently do the meditation. The length of time it takes to do the actual meditation is determined by the actual time you have available. However, I would say that the best time for a formal meditation practice is first thing in the morning after a good night’s rest. This is when the mind is most refreshed and relaxed, and it is before you start your day. The reason for doing the practice before you begin your day is that the meditation sets the tone for your entire day and gives you the opportunity to practice what you learned in your meditation in real-life experiences and situations. When meditating, we follow the the seven-point meditation posture of legs, arms, back, eyes, jaw and mouth, tongue, and head. 

1. Legs 

“If possible, sit with your legs crossed in the vajra, or full lotus, position. In this position, each foot is placed, sole upward, on the thigh of the opposite leg. This position is difficult to achieve, but one can train the body to do so over time. This position gives the best support to the body and mind. However, it is not essential. 

An alternative position is the half-lotus position where one foot is on the floor under the opposite leg and the other foot is on top of the opposite thigh. 

A third alternative is simply sitting in a cross-legged position with both feet resting on the floor under the opposite thigh. 

Sitting on a firm cushion that raises the buttocks higher than the knees can help greatly to keep the spine straight. It can also help you to sit for longer periods of time without having your feet and legs fall asleep or otherwise become uncomfortable. 

If sitting on a cushion on the floor is not possible, one can use a low meditation bench. It is also perfectly acceptable to meditate while sitting on a chair. The most important thing is to find a suitable position in which you are able to be comfortable.” 

2. Arms 

“Hold your hands loosely in your lap, right hand resting in the palm of your left, palms upward, thumbs lightly touching and forming the shape of a teardrop or flame. Your hands should be resting about 2–3 inches below the navel. Your shoulders and arms should be relaxed. Arms should be slightly akimbo, leaving a bit of space between your arms and your body to allow air to circulate. This helps to prevent sleepiness during meditation. During this seated meditation, have your hands together and thumbs touching because our mind and hands have a connection that will help with concentration.” 

3. Back 

“Your back is most important. It should be straight and held relaxed and lightly upright, as if the vertebrae are a stack of blocks effortlessly resting in a pile. This helps your energy to flow freely and contributes greatly to the clarity and alertness of your mind in meditation. This is because our spine and back are connected. When you are reclined on your sofa watching TV, your mind is dull because your spinal cord is in a relaxed position. Therefore, when your posture is dull so too is your mind. When this is happening, you are not alert; you are relaxed. You cannot meditate like this. During your meditation your spine should be erect, which will also allow your mind to be sharp and focused. The position of your legs can contribute greatly to how easy it is to maintain a straight back; often, the higher the cushion under your buttocks and the lower your knees, the easier it is to keep a straight back. You should experiment to see what works for you.” 

4. Eyes 

“In the beginning, it is often easier to concentrate with your eyes fully closed. This is totally fine. As you gain some experience with med- itation, it is recommended that you learn to leave your eyes slightly open to let in a little light and direct your gaze downward without focusing on anything in particular. Closing the eyes completely may create a tendency toward sluggishness, sleep, or daydreaming, all of which are obstacles to clear meditation.” 

5. Jaw and Mouth 

“Your jaw and mouth should be relaxed with your teeth slightly apart, not clenched, your lips lightly touching.” 

6. Tongue 

“Your tongue should rest lightly on your upper palate, with the tip lightly touching the back of the upper teeth. This reduces the flow of saliva and the need to swallow. These automatic bodily actions can be hindrances to deepening your concentration, as they can become distractions.” 

7. Head 

“Your head should be just slightly inclined forward so that your gaze is directly and naturally toward the floor in front of you. If your chin is held too high, you may have problems with mental wandering and distraction. If you drop your head too far forward, this can cause mental dullness or sleepiness.” 

When you are in this eyes-open position, imagine step- ping into your prefrontal cortex. Ajahn explained that the prefrontal cortex is where our thoughts are generated. It is where we remember past memories, where we plan future expectations, and where our mind plans and organizes. This all happens right at the front of the forehead. Ajahn recommends we move past this during meditation by imagining there is a door that connects your prefrontal cortex to the back of your head. He said moving through the door of your busy prefrontal cortex and stepping into the back of your mind is how we discover where emptiness and clarity lie. When you move into the back of your mind, you will be at peace and the gatekeeper to each and every thought that transpires in your mind. Now your job is simple: close your eyes and breathe naturally in and out through your nose. I say “naturally” here because you don’t want to force yourself to breathe every second. Instead, take a breath when you naturally have to do so. The time between breaths, keep your mind at peace and aware. 

During your first meditation experiences, you may notice your mind running rapidly with thoughts. That is okay. As a matter of fact, it is great; if you are noticing these thoughts, it means you are being aware of your mind. Your mind is conditioned to always be moving forward—it is always doing its job of constantly thinking. During the breath meditation, your mind is still going to be constantly processing new thoughts, ideas, and scenarios. When you are having these thoughts, don’t allow your attention to follow them; instead, just focus your attention on your breath. Ajahn explained: “The breath is observed through contact. It is not a visual, it is felt.” You feel your breath by putting your attention on the beginning, middle, and end of your breath. When you simply feel your breath during the meditation, you are not stressed, worried, or thinking about the past or future. You are not planning your days or being upset. You are simply at peace, relaxed, and unbothered because you are not focusing on the part of your mind that creates all the tension and uneasiness. 

During my experience with the meditation, my mind wandered to meaningless things. Ajahn taught that our minds are very tricky and will push thoughts that it knows will get your attention. Your mind is also very smart in the sense that it wants to keep you distracted from feeling clarity, because it is hardwired to always be thinking. 

Your mind knows you best, so it will pick and choose thoughts to get your attention. Your mind will try everything under the sun to get your attention. Your mind has no shame, it is nasty, and it will even resort to bringing up hurtful past thoughts and experiences. Don’t get outsmarted by your mind when this happens, even if the thoughts seem true or hard to ignore. Simply focus back on your breath when your mind is being restless. If you have the awareness to recognize your mind wandering, you then can refocus your attention back on your breath. Be proud when you do this because it is in itself a success. Simply noticing your mind wandering off to the past, future, stress, worry, anxiety, or even ego, and then calmly bringing that attention back is a success that we can build on. Anytime your mind tries to wander, do not get mad at yourself simply by saying to yourself, as a thought, Back to breath. 

My mind knows that lustful thoughts will get my attention because I had a habit of always having them. Your mind will do the same with the thoughts 

that will get your attention, whether these are fearful, lustful, or angry. Whenever you have a thought during this meditation, use the garden- ing method we learned in the previous chapter to pluck your thoughts. Every time a thought comes into your mind, use the prevention method first. When you have a thought, do not engage with it; simply continue to feel your breath. If those thoughts keep coming back as repetitive thoughts, use the removal and planting method to regain your consciousness. 

The last thing my mind did to try and get my attention was to attempt to convince me that I was tired during my mediation. At times, I almost feel asleep. However, you should not allow your mind to get the best of you and try to get you to sleep during this meditation. Ajahn said that, “One should not be overly rigid and excessively zealous, because this produces agitation. Neither should you be drifting into sleep from being too relaxed.” This exercise should not produce excess tension or a hypnotic effect. It is an attempt to increase alertness and awareness and the capacity to sustain attention. If you succeed, you will feel a great sense of clarity, presence, and a lack of distraction. You will not feel in the least bit bored, agitated, irritated, nor will you feel in doubt. You need the middle ground, a balance between tension and drifting away. You need to find the middle ground of being relaxed yet alert. 

After doing the breath meditation for the very first time at the monastery, I remember feeling a great deal of peace, calmness, and lightness in my mind and body. Right after the meditation, we took a walk outside. Once I got outside, I took a few steps on the unpaved dirt road until my eyes spot- ted a tree. This tree was motionless, tall, with rough edges of ingrained bark. I started to stare at the tree and continued to do so for quite some time. During this moment, I felt extremely calm, present, and happy. I didn’t know this at the time but looking back on it, the reason I was so calm, present, and happy was simply because I was in a state of clarity. I realized after that being in a state of clarity is when you see things for what they truly are, without having your thoughts or emotions at the time influence what you see. The reason why I was in a clarity state was because I got into the habit of focusing on my breath which allowed me to tether myself to the actual moment I was in. Continuously grounding your mind back to your breath helps you to see moments for what they truly are. When you breathe in and out through your nose, you pull away from your thoughts and emotions at the time and allow yourself to simply be in the moment you are in with calmness and peace on your mind. When this takes place, you feel as if you are seeing your moment in an entirely different perspective. For instance, if you take a walk down your street and have constant thoughts about the fight that took place prior with your spouse, you will see that moment in a negative light. However, take the same walk and continuously feel your breath in and out of your nose, and I promise you that you will see that modest moment of simply walking down the street in an entirely different light. This shift in your perspective of your moments takes place because when you feel your breath, your focus is on that breath alone—and not on your thoughts. That breath is present as the reality of the moment you are in. Once you feel that breath, you become tied down to reality and to the present moment. When you are in this position, you are living as your awake self and seeing your moments without the hindrances of your thoughts and emotions.