Meditate on the Breath (Without Driving Yourself Nuts) | Bonus Meditation with Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein guides a meditation focusing on balancing breath awareness without controlling it. He emphasizes using whole-body mindfulness and allowing the breath to find its natural rhythm, as part of the Noble Eightfold Path series.
Deep Dive Analysis
7 Topic Outline
Introduction to the Guided Meditation
Foundational Meditative Exercise: Awareness of Breath
Avoiding Over-Control of Breath in Meditation
Using Whole Body Awareness as a Meditative Frame
Technique: Soft Mental Noting for Breath Awareness
Returning to Breath After Mind Wandering
Key Elements for Steadiness of Mind in Meditation
4 Key Concepts
Vipassana Meditation
Vipassana is described not as a breathing exercise, but as an exercise in awareness. The core principle is to allow the breath to find its own natural rhythm without any attempt to control or influence it.
"There is a body" (Mental Note)
This phrase, found in a Buddha discourse on mindfulness, is used as a mental note, label, or gentle reminder to settle into the awareness of the whole body. It serves as a larger frame within which the sensations of breathing are observed.
Soft Mental Noting
A technique where one makes a very gentle, almost whispered, mental note like 'in, out' or 'rise and fall' with each breath. Its purpose is to help connect and sustain attention to the breath for its entire duration, while keeping the primary focus on the physical sensations themselves.
Connecting and Sustaining Attention
These are two key qualities for developing greater steadiness of mind with the breath. It involves initiating awareness at the very beginning of each breath (in-breath or out-breath) and then maintaining that awareness for the entire duration of that half-breath.
5 Questions Answered
The beginning practice of many meditations involves calming the mind and collecting attention, often using the breath as a convenient and natural object of awareness.
Focusing too much on the breath can inadvertently lead to trying to control or influence it, which is contrary to Vipassana's aim of simply observing the breath as it finds its own natural rhythm.
Instead of zeroing in on breath sensations, it's helpful to use the awareness of the whole body as a larger frame, perhaps repeating the mental note 'there is a body,' and then observing breath sensations within that broader awareness.
When you notice your mind has wandered, simply acknowledge it and very gently return your attention to the breath, understanding that it's a process of 'simply beginning again' without judgment.
The two key qualities are connecting your attention or awareness with the beginning of each breath and then sustaining that attention for the entire duration of that half-breath.
14 Actionable Insights
1. Calm Mind, Collect Attention
Begin your meditation practice by calming your mind and collecting your attention, as this is the foundational first step.
2. Allow Natural Breath Rhythm
Let your breath find its own natural rhythm, as this practice is an exercise in awareness, not a breathing exercise.
3. Avoid Controlling Breath
Do not focus on the breath so much that you try to control or influence it, as this is not a breathing exercise.
4. Frame Breath with Whole Body
Instead of initially zeroing in on specific breath sensations, use the awareness of the whole body as a larger frame for your meditation.
5. Use ‘There Is A Body’ Reminder
Use the phrase ’there is a body’ as a soft mental note or gentle reminder to settle into the awareness of your body sitting.
6. Relax into Whole Body Awareness
Incorporate relaxation into your practice by relaxing into the awareness of the whole body, as this is an important part of developing steadiness of mind.
7. Connect and Sustain Breath Attention
Develop steadiness of mind by connecting your attention with the beginning of each breath and sustaining it for the entire duration of that half breath.
8. Gently Return Wandering Mind
When you notice your mind has wandered, simply acknowledge it and very gently return your attention to the breath.
9. Always Begin Again
View the act of returning your attention when your mind wanders as simply ‘beginning again,’ fostering a gentle and persistent practice.
10. Soft Mental Notes for Breath
Make very soft mental notes like ‘in,’ ‘out,’ ‘rise,’ or ‘fall’ with each breath to help connect and sustain attention.
11. Keep Notes Very Soft
If using mental notes for breath, keep them very soft, like a whisper in the mind, to maintain primary attention on the sensations.
12. Focus on Breath Sensations
Ensure your primary attention is on the actual feeling of the sensations of the breath, wherever you may be feeling them in the body.
13. Accept Any Breath
Understand that there is no such thing as a ‘wrong breath,’ which helps in letting the breath find its natural rhythm without judgment.
14. Trust Body’s Natural Breath
Trust that your body will breathe naturally by itself, meaning there is nothing you actively need to do in order to breathe during meditation.
4 Key Quotes
In this particular practice of vipassana, it's not a breathing exercise. It's an exercise in awareness.
Joseph Goldstein
There's no such thing as a wrong breath.
Joseph Goldstein
The primary attention should be on the feeling of the sensations of the breath, wherever you may be feeling it.
Joseph Goldstein
As soon as you become aware that the mind has been carried away with some other object, simply notice that and very gently return to the breath. It's a question of simply beginning again.
Joseph Goldstein
1 Protocols
Cultivating Breath Awareness within Whole Body Awareness
Joseph Goldstein- Settle into the awareness of your whole body, perhaps occasionally repeating the phrase 'there is a body' as a mental note or gentle reminder.
- Within that larger frame of whole body awareness, simply become aware of the sensations of the body breathing.
- Optionally, make a very soft mental note with each breath, such as 'in, out' or 'rise and fall,' to help connect and sustain attention for the entire duration of the breath.
- Keep the mental noting very soft, like a whisper in the mind, ensuring the primary attention remains on the feeling of the sensations of the breath.
- If the mind begins to wander or gets lost in thought, as soon as you become aware of it, simply notice that and very gently return to the breath, understanding it as 'simply beginning again.'
- Connect your attention with the beginning of each in-breath and sustain that attention for the duration of that half-breath.
- Connect your attention with the beginning of each out-breath and sustain that attention for the duration of that half-breath.
- Relax into the awareness of the whole body, recognizing that the body will breathe naturally by itself without any need for you to do anything to breathe.