Shri Jagat Singh Bisht
(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)
Anapana Meditation: Mindfulness of Breathing
Anapana meditation is simple, pure, and pristine.
“Prana” means breath. “Ana(prana)” is the breath that comes in and “apana(prana)” is the breath that goes out. Both put together and shortened for convenient usage make “anapana”. Anapanasati is concentration on breath coming in and going out.
It is believed that mindfulness of breathing, cultivated and regularly practiced, is of great fruit and great benefit. Two thousand and five hundred years ago, Buddha outlined the method in Anapanasati Sutta – the discourse on mindfulness of breathing.
He begins elucidating the method, “A monk, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, established mindfulness in front of him, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.”
The focus is on breath alone. The meditator observes his breath dispassionately. There is no attempt to modulate breathing. Just observation.
While breathing in a long breath, he knows, “I breathe in a long breath”; breathing out a long breath, he knows, “I breathe out a long breath.” Breathing in a short breath, he knows, “I breathe in a short breath”; while breathing out a short breath, he knows, “I breathe out a short breath.” Experiencing the body, he breathes in and out. Calming the bodily function of breathing, he breathes in and out.
The meditation takes him on an inner journey encompassing contemplations of the body, feelings, the mind, and mind-objects. During each step, he continues to observe his breath.
Experiencing rapture, or happiness, or the mental functions; he breathes in and out. Calming the mental functions, he breathes in and out. Experiencing, or gladdening, or concentrating, or liberating the mind; he breathes in and out. Contemplating impermanence, or dispassion, or cessation, or relinquishment; he breathes in and out.
The Blessed One recommends, “This concentration through mindfulness of breathing, when developed and practiced much, is both peaceful and sublime, it is an unadulterated blissful abiding, and it banishes at once and stills evil unprofitable thoughts as soon as they arise.”
Jagat Singh Bisht
Founder: LifeSkills
