Ānāpānasati: A Simple Guide to Mindfulness of Breathing

Ānāpānasati — mindfulness of breathing — is, according to tradition, the meditation the Buddha himself practised on the night of his awakening. It is simple, always available and suitable for complete beginners, yet it can also carry a practitioner all the way to liberation. The breath is with us wherever we go; it needs no special equipment, and it is always happening in the present moment.

The Buddha’s fullest teaching on this practice is the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), given at Sāvatthī to a large gathering of monks. The same instructions also open the body section of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.

So satova assasati, satova passasati.

Ever mindful, one breathes in; mindful, one breathes out. — MN 118

Getting started

1. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably — on a cushion or a chair — with your back upright but relaxed.
2. Close your eyes gently and let your hands rest in your lap. Take a moment to let the shoulders and face soften.
3. Bring attention to the breath where you feel it most clearly: at the nostrils, upper lip or abdomen. Choose one place and stay with it.
4. Breathing in, know you are breathing in. Breathing out, know you are breathing out. Don’t control the breath — just know it.
5. Notice whether each breath is long or short.
6. When the mind wanders — and it will — gently notice where it went and return to the breath, without blame.
7. At the end of the session, open your eyes slowly and carry a little of the calm into whatever you do next.

The sixteen steps in four tetrads

In MN 118 the Buddha describes sixteen steps, arranged in four groups of four (tetrads). Each step is practised while “breathing in” and “breathing out”. Together the four tetrads correspond to the four foundations of mindfulness.

• Body: (1) knowing a long breath; (2) knowing a short breath; (3) experiencing the whole body; (4) calming bodily activity.
• Feelings: (5) experiencing rapture (pīti); (6) experiencing happiness (sukha); (7) experiencing mental activity; (8) calming mental activity.
• Mind: (9) experiencing the mind; (10) gladdening the mind; (11) concentrating the mind; (12) freeing the mind.
• Dhammas: (13) contemplating impermanence; (14) contemplating fading away; (15) contemplating cessation; (16) contemplating letting go.

The sutta explains that mindfulness of breathing, developed in this way, fulfils the four foundations of mindfulness; these in turn fulfil the seven factors of awakening, and these fulfil true knowledge and liberation. The steps are a natural progression rather than a checklist: calm and joy grow out of steady attention to the breath, and insight grows out of a calm and joyful mind.

The first tetrad in practice

Many people find the first four steps enough for months of practice. Begin simply by knowing long and short breaths. Then let awareness widen to feel the whole breath, from its beginning through its middle to its end. Finally, allow the breath and body to grow calmer by themselves. You do not need to make the breath slow; as the mind settles, the breath usually becomes fine and quiet on its own.

If the mind is very busy, the Visuddhimagga suggests counting: count each breath from one up to a number not less than five and not more than ten, then begin again. Once the mind can stay with the breath, drop the counting and simply follow it.

Common difficulties

• Wandering mind. This is not failure. Each moment of noticing and returning is the practice itself. Gentle, patient returning builds mindfulness like repetitions build a muscle.
• Controlling the breath. Watching the breath can make it feel forced. Relax, and treat the breath like a friend you are listening to rather than something you must manage.
• Sleepiness. Sit more upright, open the eyes slightly, or practise at a more alert time of day. Walking meditation is a good alternative.
• Restlessness and doubt. These are among the five hindrances. Recognise them by name, and come back to one breath at a time.
• Chasing special experiences. Lights, tingling or deep calm may come and go. Note them kindly and stay with the simple breath.

Building a steady practice

Choose a regular time — early morning is traditional — and a regular place. Ten minutes every day is more valuable than an hour once a week. Gradually extend the session as it becomes comfortable. During the day, take a few mindful breaths before answering the phone, starting a meal or beginning a conversation; these small moments connect formal sitting with ordinary life.

Above all, be kind to yourself. The breath has been waiting patiently all your life; it will not mind how many times you leave and return. Each time you come back, you are training the mind in patience, honesty and gentleness — qualities that will serve you long after the session ends, in every part of your life.

Start with 10 minutes a day at the same time. Consistency matters more than length.