The practice
Sit and let the breath do what it already does. Notice that the out-breath seems to begin somewhere low and move up and out, and the in-breath seems to begin outside and arrive downward. Put your attention on those two starting places rather than on the length of the breath. Do not lengthen anything. You are looking for where it comes from, not how much of it there is.
What it works on
This is the first dharana in the text and the one everything else is built on. It is placed first because it needs no belief, no preparation and no teacher — only a body that is already breathing. Attention given to an origin is naturally quieter than attention given to a movement.
Notes
- If you cannot find a starting place, stay with the plain sensation of air at the nostrils. That is the same practice at a coarser grain.
- Ten slow breaths done properly beats five minutes done anxiously.
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.