meditation - How obvious should the touch of the breath be?
score:2
The touch of the breath should be totally obvious and clear.
Anapanasati is not something exactly easy to do. If it was easy to do, all of the posters on this chatsite would be enlightened.
You should stick to it and assume it will improve as does your concentration.
You should experiment with different methods, such as:
Place one finger horizontally under the nostrils and mentally note the thought "out" each time you feel the air touching/striking/warming your finger; and mental note "in" when you feel the air not touching your finger and being sucked back into your nostrils.
Make sure your finger is placed at a distance away from your face where the maximum impact of the breath can be felt. For example, my finger is about 6 millimetres away from my face/upper lip because i have a big nose.
Then continue to do the same but only mentally note "out" and stop mentally noting "in". Instead, let the mind be quiet, open & relaxed on the in breath; but continue to note the out breath.
If your arm gets tired/uncomfortable, change to your other arm & finger.
As your mind familiarizes itself with the sensation of the breath on the finger; then allow the mind to search for & feel the sensation where it is most obvious in the nose/nostril.
Also, as you start to regularly feel the breath in your nostril, then let the eyes & face relax and allow the mind to try to feel the breath in another place, such as in/through the throat. To only watch the breathing around the nostrils is not important.
There are other methods, such as to occasionally deliberately breath a little longer and postpone/extend the end of the breath a little longer (but not too long so it becomes pranayama !!!. We don't want to get dizzy practising Hindu pranayama).
Ultimately, the breath can only be perfectly lucidly experienced by the mind when the mind is very quiet and actually not even try to watch the breath. "Trying" to watch the breath is also another obstacle to clear knowing of the breath. However, if your mind is not quiet and has thoughts, "trying" to watch the breath helps suppress the thoughts.
Upvote:0
The real breath must be softer and softer (still breathing but breathe softer lighter calmer).
But the breath comprehension is clearer better cloudless.
It's something like you use fewer tools and fewer raw materials, when you are more professional on doing something. Your thinking of doing that thing is very very clear because of your experience, but you use very very fewer tools and fewer raw materials compare to your fist time doing it.
The practitioner is focusing on these together:
- how long is my breath?
- how short is my breath?
- Am I keep focusing on whole breath measuring?
- Am I breathe softer and softer (still breathing but breathe softer lighter calmer)?
Then the breath will appear clearer.
Every practice needs time. Be patient to keep practice go on.
More post
- 📝 Can/should we actively use thoughts as part of mindful awareness?
- 📝 What are the differences between Zen Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism?
- 📝 Is violence or destruction ever correct?
- 📝 Near death experience and meditation
- 📝 Misconception about remembering past lives?
- 📝 How not to alter breathing in Anapana meditation?
- 📝 How to use a Tibetan singing bowl when meditating solo?
- 📝 How to focus on one thing like a monk?
- 📝 What is the opinion of Buddhism on the caste system and untouchability of Hinduism?
- 📝 Why will-power could not be used to regulate kaya , vedana and citta?
- 📝 Referencing MN 121, how to focus on the oneness dependent on the perception of the dimension of infinite space?
- 📝 Can anyone give me a suggestion of a good monk to learn Buddhism?
- 📝 Fathersday - how would a western disciple of the Buddha make use of this fest?
- 📝 Can a lay person become an Arahant according to the Suttas?
- 📝 What Pali term most closely represents the concept of "inner conflict"?
- 📝 Building discipline & willpower from scratch
- 📝 Pillar of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ)
- 📝 How does Piti relate to Jhana?
- 📝 As a Buddhist, is it right to say that anything about Buddhism is right?
- 📝 Source of Benefit of Formal Sitting
- 📝 accepting what i have vs. making plans for better future - good or bad?
- 📝 In the wheel of life, how can death be a condition for ignorance?
- 📝 How often to meditate and how far apart
- 📝 What is the relationship between the New Kadampa Tradition and Tibetan Buddhism?
- 📝 Were the oldest Buddhists evangelical?
- 📝 Death of Moggallana
- 📝 A good mood/satisfaction
- 📝 Is this a grave mistake in DN22 translation?
- 📝 Reflecting duties of good friends near conflicts
- 📝 Which case is "I am a professor" with identity view?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 meditation - How obvious should the touch of the breath be?
- 📝 How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?
- 📝 How concerned should Buddhists be with the actions of others?
- 📝 How effective are guided meditation sessions in achieving the benefits of meditation?
- 📝 When and how should someone practice Patikulamanasikara meditation (reflections of replusiveness)
- 📝 How to apply meditation in the following difficult situations
- 📝 How much should one eat when following the not-eating-after-noon precept?
- 📝 How should one teach the Dhamma to others?
- 📝 How should a theravada centre approach the lay people for support?
- 📝 How can one apply the skills developed through Vipassana meditation to overcome FMO/PMO (fantasy, p**n, masturbation, o*g**m) addiction?
- 📝 How to stay mindful of the gap in the breath
- 📝 How can I remedy the erratic energy-power that arises from vipassana aka cessation-contemplation meditation so I can feel more in-control?
- 📝 How can the sensations of the meditation object (attention to the breath) be made more noticeable?
- 📝 What are the guides for lay followers, as to how far they should go to be compassionate?
- 📝 Why is focusing on the breath more difficult than focusing on Mantras, and how important is it before vipassana?
- 📝 How worried should one be about the lay precepts?
- 📝 What are the different meditation types & how to do them?
- 📝 Has the Buddha taught anything about how one should approach fixing society?
- 📝 How many types of meditation did the Buddha teach in the Pali Canon?
- 📝 How should I take the concept of 'non-entity'?
- 📝 How do i Focusing on the breath and letting thought go
- 📝 Watching the breath during meditation is getting boring?
- 📝 How should I take the concept of 'identical being'?
- 📝 How do I practise meditation according to the Satipatthana Sutta?
- 📝 How to know the progressive state of mind in insight meditation
- 📝 How can I focus on breath at the tip of my nose?
- 📝 How should I take the concept of the following sentence?
- 📝 How not to kill the mouse in my house?
- 📝 How can I assess the quality of a local Buddhist group?
- 📝 How should Buddhists handle prayer requests?