Foundations of Mindfulness Breathing

Introduction

Mindfulness of breathing, ānāpānasati, is the practice of knowing the breath as it comes in and goes out. It asks for nothing special. The breath is always with us, it is always happening now, and it changes with our moods, so it is a faithful mirror of body and mind.

In the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118) the Buddha teaches that this one practice, developed and cultivated, fulfils the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna): mindfulness of the body (kāya), of feelings (vedanā), of the mind (citta) and of mental qualities (dhammas). These foundations in turn support the factors of awakening, which bring clear knowing and release. The breath is a doorway that opens step by step: from simple attention, to calm and gladness, to insight into how all things arise and pass.

The teaching is laid out as sixteen steps in four groups of four, often called tetrads. They are not a ladder to climb quickly. Most of us return to the first steps again and again, and that returning is itself the practice.

Preparing

Place: Choose a quiet spot where you won't be disturbed for a while: a tidy corner, a cushion or a chair, perhaps a candle or an image that inspires you. The sutta speaks of the forest, the root of a tree or an empty hut; a calm room at home serves just as well.
Posture: Sit with the back upright but not rigid, as if the crown of the head were gently lifted. On a cushion, cross the legs comfortably with the knees lower than the hips; on a chair, rest both feet flat on the floor. Let the hands rest in the lap and the shoulders, jaw and eyes soften. If sitting is painful, lying down or standing is fine.
Time: Begin with ten or fifteen minutes and let the practice grow naturally. Regularity matters more than length: a short sit every day is worth more than a long one now and then. Early morning, before the day fills up, suits many people.
Intention: Before you begin, recall why you are sitting. You might take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, and set the wish of bodhicitta: may this practice benefit all beings. The Daily Prayer on the Klryz home page offers words for this.

If you have a breathing or other health condition, practise gently, never strain the breath, and seek guidance from a qualified teacher or your doctor.

The sixteen steps

Throughout, the breath stays the anchor. The sutta repeats a simple pattern: breathing in, one knows or trains in something; breathing out, one knows or trains in the same. Here is each step in plain words.

The body (kāya)

Long breaths. When the breath is long, simply know that it is long, breathing in and breathing out.
Short breaths. When the breath is short, know that it is short. There is nothing to fix; just know it as it is.
Experiencing the whole body. Train to feel the whole breath, and through it the whole body, from the beginning of each breath to its end.
Calming bodily formations. Train to let the breath and the body settle, allowing them to grow softer and quieter by themselves.

Feelings (vedanā)

Experiencing joy. As the body calms, a gentle gladness (pīti) may appear. Train to breathe with it and know it clearly.
Experiencing ease. Train to breathe with the quieter happiness (sukha) that follows, a sense of ease and contentment.
Experiencing mental formations. Train to notice how feeling and perception shape the mind, breathing in and out with them.
Calming mental formations. Train to let those movements of feeling and perception settle, breathing calmly.

The mind (citta)

Experiencing the mind. Train to know the state of the mind as it is right now, whether bright or dull, scattered or collected.
Gladdening the mind. Train to encourage and brighten the mind, recalling what is good and wholesome.
Concentrating the mind. Train to gather and steady the mind on the breath, so that it rests in one place.
Liberating the mind. Train to let go of whatever binds or burdens the mind, breathing in and out with a sense of freedom.

Mental qualities (dhammas)

Contemplating impermanence. Train to see how every breath, sensation and thought arises and passes away (anicca).
Contemplating fading. Train to notice how craving and grasping fade when things are seen as changing (virāga).
Contemplating cessation. Train to see the ending of each experience, and the ending of clinging itself (nirodha).
Contemplating relinquishment. Train to let go completely, breathing in and out with an open, unclenched heart (paṭinissagga).

A simple ten-minute practice

Settle into your posture. Close your eyes or lower your gaze, and take a moment to arrive.
Recall your intention, perhaps with a few words of refuge and the wish to benefit all beings.
Take three slow, easy breaths, then let the breath return to its own rhythm.
Find where the breath is clearest, at the nostrils, the chest or the belly, and rest your attention there.
For a few minutes, simply know each in-breath and each out-breath, noticing whether it is long or short.
Widen your attention to feel the whole body breathing, and let it soften a little with each out-breath.
When the mind wanders, notice where it went and kindly come back to the next breath. This returning is the practice.
If gladness or ease appear, let them be there without holding on to them.
In the last minute, notice how each breath begins and ends, appearing and passing like a small wave.
Open your awareness to the room again, and offer a short dedication before you get up.

Common difficulties

Sleepiness: Sit a little straighter, open the eyes and let in some light, or practise standing or walking for a while. Sitting at a fresher time of day helps too.
Restlessness: Let the out-breath be a little longer and feel the weight of the body on the seat. Counting breaths from one to ten, then starting again, can steady a busy mind.
Forcing the breath: Mindfulness of breathing is knowing, not controlling. If the breath feels tight or awkward, rest your attention on the body's contact with the floor for a while, and let the breath breathe itself.
A wandering mind: Every mind wanders, often. The moment you notice, you have already returned. Come back without scolding yourself, as gently as you would guide a small child.

Bringing it into daily life

The breath goes everywhere with you, so the practice can too. Take three mindful breaths before you pick up your phone, start a meal or reply to a message. Let a doorway, a red light or the sound of a bell be a reminder to come back to the breath.

In difficult moments the breath offers a pause between what happens and how you respond. Feeling a few breaths fully can be enough to choose kindness over habit. Over time the qualities of the sixteen steps, calm, gladness, steadiness and letting go, begin to colour the whole day, not only the time on the cushion.

Dedication

May whatever goodness comes from this practice be shared with all beings. May all beings be happy, may they be free of suffering, and may they find peace with every breath.