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)