Introduction to the Breath
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Another Door Into Awareness
Before beginning the practice of sitting meditation, take a moment to get into a posture that will allow you to feel supported and comfortable over the next little while. Perhaps you’ve seen pictures of meditators sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, palms resting on the knees and hands turned upwards. This isn’t required here. You can sit on the floor if you prefer. If you need more support, a firm cushion that raises you a few inches off the floor might be helpful.
If sitting on a chair, see if you can move slightly forward so that your back is not resting against the chair back, but be sure not to strain or overarch your back. Place your feet on the floor, and straighten your spine as best you can, and try to relax your shoulders. The posture you are aiming for is one that will open up your body in such a way that you can directly feel the flow of the breath moving through the body.
Let’s start with the sitting meditation, focusing on awareness of the breath, and see what we find.
Comfortable Positions
Find a posture that is comfortable for you, provides support, and does not cause pressure or strain on your body.
Sitting Meditation
Read about the exercise and press Play when you’re ready.
Before You Begin
Adopt a posture that lets you sit comfortably and with stability.
If you are sitting on a chair, move forward so your back is not resting on the chair, or place a pillow behind your back.
Place your feet flat on the floor.
Straighten your spine and relax your shoulders.
This exercise will take about 30 minutes.
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- For example, what types of body sensations did you notice during the sitting meditation?
- This response will be reviewed and graded after submission.
- When you noticed your mind wandering from the breath during practice, what was one place it wandered to?
- This response will be reviewed and graded after submission.
- Is this act of paying attention to your mind and body different for you, and if so, how?
- This response will be reviewed and graded after submission.
- In what ways might this practice help you reduce lingering symptoms of depression and stay well over time?
- This response will be reviewed and graded after submission.
River of Mental States
Read about the exercise and press Play when you’re ready.
In fact, when we attend to the breath in this way, we are all engaging in the same practice but the results can be different for each of us. There is no right or wrong way to feel. It is more a matter of seeing what we find when we let our attention settle on just one thing, the breath! What if the mind was a river of different mental states? Can we simply allow ourselves to observe the movement that is already there, exploring the places attention gets drawn towards, resting in the flow?
Sitting Meditation in an MBCT Group
Let’s join the group as they are in the middle of inquiring into the experience of this practice. As you watch each clip, take a moment to reflect on what you hear. What did watching the experience of group members help you learn about your own experience with sitting meditation?
Click on the questions to hear from each group member.
Finding that Your Breath Can Be an Ally
Press Play to hear about using your breath in this meditation.