let go focus on breath

[befriend]

is it always correct practice to let go and return to the breath? if i just let go of whats in my head let it pass, and come back to the breath, will that always be right practice? thank you, Metta, Befriend.

[daverupa]

My intuition is that this could be answered by saying "I do not say that is not anapanasati, but as for how anapanasati is practiced in full, listen and attend..." and on into the four tetrads.

[befriend]

you mean i could apply mindfulness of thoughts, sensations etc...

[Nicro]

Read his book discussing Anapanasati as well. He goes over it quite well, BUT! It is quite different from what you usually hear about Anapanasati practice.

[Nicro]

Oops double post...Well while I'm here...



Another teachers advice on it.

[Ben]

You need to be clear what your aim is and whose method you are employing. If you are already under the guidance of a teacher then I recommend that you follow the instructions precisely for at least a year. If you are not following a particular teacher's instruction then I suggest that you follow only one particular method for at least a year to give it a trial.

There are different variations of anapana-sati that are propagatd by different teachers. The two main strands of anapana-sati relate to its intended effect of cultivating samatha or vipassana.
I think most teachers will recommend that you maintain your awareness of the object and if you find yourself being distracted by mental contents, to return to the breath.

In the absence of a teacher, I recommend you have a look at some foundation literature.

The section on anapana in the Visuddhimagga is excellent and I highly recommend it. Search for 'anapana' and it should direct you to the section.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... on2011.pdf

Likewise, the Manual of Respiration by Ledi Sayadaw:
http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Ledi/Anapa ... asati.html

If you are just beginning in your practice and unless you have developed any of the jhanas then stay with the first tetrad.
All the best,

Ben

[effort]

my mind naturally is not calm, and forcing it to paying attention to the breath could have reverse results and the mind becomes more restless, the way that it works best for me is, know my mind state, does it want to pay attention to the breath by itself or not, is the mind trying to escape from the breath or not, then if mind easily is mindful of breath then i continue else if i found breath as an object is hard to be aware of and cause more wandering, i direct awareness to something more gross and easier to be mindful, after sometime i back to the breath and repeat the instruction.

the object of mindfulness could be anything, thought, sound, body, breathing body.... and then breathing again.