The practice
Breathe normally. Watch for the moment the in-breath stops being an in-breath and becomes an out-breath, and the matching moment at the other end. Hold your attention a little wider than the turn itself — take in the last of the breath arriving, the change, and the first of the breath leaving. Two turns in every cycle. Try not to miss one.
What it works on
Where the first dharana looks for an origin, this one looks for a hinge. The attention is deliberately given a slightly larger target, which makes it easier to sustain for people who find a single point too fine to hold.
Notes
- The breath will slow by itself. Let it. Slowing it deliberately turns a meditation into an exercise.
- A good one to use when the mind is too busy for anything narrower.
Practise gently
Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.