The Power Of Breath: Intermediate's Anapana Meditation

Hello everyone,

Thank you for having joined me today for this breath meditation,

Anapana meditation.

Last time we started with a more simple version of this style of meditation.

This time I would like to develop it a little bit further.

So grab a blob,

Books,

Pillows,

Blankets,

Towel and sit on it in a cross-seated position.

It doesn't matter how you look,

Doesn't matter how your legs are,

What is important is that you have a straight spine.

Feel your seat bones grounded on whatever you're sitting on and bring your attention to your belly button and gently draw your belly button towards your spine,

Lengthening your spine towards the sky,

Filling your collar bones,

Expanding and imagine there is a string attached to the crown of the head and someone is pulling you up towards the sky.

Your hands are either resting on your knees or on your lap.

If you want to take any mudra,

Feel free to.

Otherwise just go for the place where your hands naturally fall and find comfort.

You want to bring your chin slightly towards your chest.

Find in softness in your shoulders.

If you feel that you're collapsing,

You can always make little adjustment,

Subtle adjustments to your spine,

Making sure that your spine is straight,

Your heart is opening and the top of the head is reaching a little bit further towards the sky.

Bring your attention to your breath,

To the air coming in and out of your nostrils.

Observe the flow of air coming inside of the nostrils,

Down to your throat,

Into your lungs and from there exiting through your throat,

Through the nostrils.

Observe the qualities of your breath.

How is your breath?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question.

What you're working with is identifying the pattern,

The characteristics of your breath.

Your breath is unique to you.

It won't be like anyone else in your house,

In your building,

In your neighborhood.

Observe how the breath changes the longer we are seated.

Observe how the characteristics of your breath connect with the characteristics of your thoughts of the fluctuations of your mind.

The breath and the mind are intimately interwoven.

The breath changes the workings of the mind.

Observe how your thoughts impact your breath.

Bring your attention to the area where the air enters your nostrils.

Observe how it feels for the air to enter into your nostrils.

And for now maintain your focus there,

Right at the entrance of your nostrils.

If your mind wanders,

Bring it back.

Your attention drifts,

Bring it back.

Observe the pattern of the breath and the sensations emerging in your nostrils,

At the entrance of your nostrils.

Scan each millimeter of the entrance of your nostrils and observe what sorts of sensations you're perceiving.

There are no right or wrong sensations,

If you're feeling nothing,

That's a sensation,

That's perfectly fine.

Don't crave sensations,

Don't avert sensations.

Observe them rising and passing away.

Try not to manipulate them,

Don't manipulate your breath,

Don't manipulate sensations.

Observe the natural appearance of both,

The natural pattern of the breath and the natural sensations at the entrance of your nostrils.

If your mind wanders,

Bring it back to the opening of your nose,

Your nostrils.

Observe if the air is entering both nostrils at the same time,

If it's exiting both nostrils at the same time,

In the same manner,

In the same pattern.

Don't change your breath,

Allow it to flow naturally.

You're an observer of the sensations happening at the inception of your nostrils.

How is the quality of the breath?

Observe any tendency.

Is it changing?

Or is it quite consistent?

If your mind is going to a memory or a plan,

Something happening in the future,

Bring it back to the sensations at the beginning of your nostrils.

I know maybe your memories and plans for the future are more pleasurable than the sensations in your nostrils,

But try for a few seconds to stay present to the sensations in the nostrils,

Being present to the reality of this moment.

If you find yourself drifting a lot,

Think about it in this way.

The memory you're thinking about is a cluttered reconstruction of what actually happened.

Our consciousness cannot keep memories fully perfect to what actually happened.

So we tend to clutterly reconstruct them.

The future is an illusion.

We don't know if it's going to happen as we're imagining it by your breath entering and exiting your nostrils in this present moment that is real,

That is truth.

It cannot be more truth.

It's your perception in this specific moment.

The moment you become present,

Time changes its dimension.

The mind quiets.

You become calmer.

You find stillness.

You are watching the breath and the sensations appearing at the entrance of your nostrils.

If you can't explain the sensations you're feeling,

That is perfectly fine.

Knowledge is limited,

Where your consciousness perceives infinite.

Don't limit yourself.

Describe things with words.

Allow your consciousness to perceive and understand what you're feeling.

The nonIndexing The Active If your attention expands,

And if sensations that are grosser catch your attention,

Try to bring your attention back to your nose-shoes.

There will always be a more gross sensation,

Screaming,

Asking for your attention.

Go back to your nose-shoes,

Let go of the more obvious sensations you're feeling.

And if pain is arising in your body,

It will rise and pass away.

No sensation is permanent.

Maintain your focus to your nose-shoes,

And slightly expand it to the area above your upper lip and your nose-shoes.

And observe what sorts of sensations might be appearing there.

Maintain a connection with the flow of your breath.

There's got to be a certain position of you,

If your mind is wandering,

Remember the sensations in your upper lip and your nostrils.

It's the only truth of this moment.

Bring it back.

All sorts of sensations are appearing between your upper lip and your nostrils.

Numbness,

Tingling,

Perspiration,

Pain,

Electrical currents,

Maybe something you've never felt before.

You don't need to name it.

Allow it to appear,

Stay,

Maybe,

And pass away,

Observing the rules of nature,

The rules of the sensations in your body,

The rules of your breath and your mind.

Don't worry if something is unclear.

It will help you to learn day by day.

Gently,

Bring your attention to the crown of the head.

Draw your attention to the ear in between the eyebrows,

Down to the middle of your throat,

Down to your heart center,

Your sternum,

Down to your navel,

Your belly button.

Down,

Towards the middle of your pelvic floor,

Down to the root of your spine.

Bring your hands in prayer,

Heart center,

Bow your head down.

Thank you for having allowed me to guide you through this meditation.

Have a wonderful rest of the day.

Namaste.