Basic Breath Instructions

Thanissaro Bhikkhu guides a short sit and explains that when the Buddha speaks of “breath” he means the sensation of energy moving through the body, not just air at the nose. He starts with a survey of the body, then the evening reflections on ageing, illness and death and on goodwill, to ready the mind. He suggests beginning with long breaths if energy is low and finding the rhythm that feels best.

He describes the mind as a committee: you choose the member who wants to stay with the breath and let the rest chatter. He gives instructions for spreading the breath through the torso and surveying the body from the navel upward, then holding whole-body awareness like candlelight filling a room. He uses similes of a home for the mind and a jar of muddy water settling, and ends on choosing actions that lead to less suffering.