Audio Practice #1 Breathing as an anchor for concentration [1:26]
Instructions: Stand or sit in a comfortable position, and click play ⏵ on the audio above. [0:01] (BELL)
Breathing as an anchor for concentration.
Valarie Kaur writes, "Breathing is life-giving. In every breath, we take oxygen into our bodies to nourish and sustain us. We inhale the molecules we need; we exhale what we do not need. Breath is constant: its rhythm moves within us, creating space and time to be present. Present to sensation. Present to emotion. Present to one another. And present to ourselves."
Many wisdom traditions have practices that connect breath and consciousness. Coherence breathing steadies the mind, activates the parasympathetic neural system, and calms the body and heart.
This is an on-ramp for mindful experience. In the handbook Jewish Meditation, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes, “Breathing forms a link between the conscious mind and the unconscious. By learning how to concentrate on your breath you can go on to learn the unconscious mind.”
Any sensory focal point of concentration can be used as an anchor for meditation.
From CLASS #1: SEEDS OF MINDFULNESS
<For the previous practice, click here. (Practice #10 Natural Awareness)
For the next practice, click here. > (Practice #2 Six Sense Noting)