Gil Fronsdal of the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) guides this anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) practice on tuning in to the breath and counting a series of breaths in a row.
Tuning in to your breathing refamiliarize yourself with what it’s like to be breathing.
See if you can attune yourself to the experience of breathing as if it’s the center of all things. Breathing in, breathing out.
Set a goal for yourself, to be aware of the number of breaths in a row. Slowly increase the number of breaths you can count, as to what your mind is capable right now.
Tuning yourself into the breathing. Settling yourself into the breathing. Steadying yourself on the breathing. Letting go of your thoughts, seeing if you can do a series of breaths in a row, enough to be challenged by it, but not so much to be discouraged, just a little bit beyond of what you can do, 2,3,4,5,10…
Sometimes, the fuller experience of breathing can be had by feeling how the in-breath is a little bit energizing, the exhale a little bit more settling, relaxing.
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