Ānāpānasati — mindfulness of breathing — is the meditation the Buddha himself practised on the night of his awakening. It is simple, always available and suitable for complete beginners.
Getting started
- Find a quiet place and sit comfortably — on a cushion or a chair — with your back upright but relaxed.
- Close your eyes gently and let your hands rest in your lap.
- Bring attention to the breath where you feel it most clearly: at the nostrils, upper lip or abdomen.
- Breathing in, know you are breathing in. Breathing out, know you are breathing out. Don’t control the breath — just know it.
- Notice whether each breath is long or short.
- When the mind wanders — and it will — gently notice where it went and return to the breath, without blame.
The Buddha’s first four steps
In the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118) the Buddha describes sixteen steps. The first four focus on the body: knowing a long breath, knowing a short breath, experiencing the whole body of the breath, and calming the breath. Many people find these first steps enough for months of practice.
Start with 10 minutes a day at the same time. Consistency matters more than length.