Where to focus

[greggorious]

When one is focussing on the breath for meditation is it best to focus on the abdomen to make sure you're breathing correctly?
As someone who suffers from anxiety I notice I breath a lot from my chest, and the breaths are often shallow.
I know it's often said one should not try and manipulate the breath during meditation, and just let it rise and fall naturally, but I feel that I am actively taking deeper breaths from the abdomen in order to feel slightly more relaxed.

[LonesomeYogurt]

I would really recommend focusing at the nostrils for Samatha meditation, but there's no reason you can't start with focusing on your abdomen until the breath slows.

[greggorious]

Ok thanks. By the way I've noticed some people put their favourite quotes at the bottom of their messages. How do you do that?

[Cittasanto]

When one is focussing on the breath for meditation is it best to focus on the abdomen to make sure you're breathing correctly?
As someone who suffers from anxiety I notice I breath a lot from my chest, and the breaths are often shallow.
I know it's often said one should not try and manipulate the breath during meditation, and just let it rise and fall naturally, but I feel that I am actively taking deeper breaths from the abdomen in order to feel slightly more relaxed.

nothing wrong with that if it promotes a sense of ease!
Thanissaro Bhikkhu actually encourages this as does his teachers teacher Ajahn Lee. also the Samatha group apparently teach controlled breathing initially.
the Body does need training to relax at times, particularly when there has been a learnt behaviour. Behavioural therapy is rooted in this sort of approach i.e. you do it, and the mind follows. you need to balance the mind and body so they are doing the appropriate thing together.
There is no correct place to pay attention to, everywhere is correct for different people at different times.
you may want to look at each place you can sense the breath before settling on one, but if one place is more conductive or needs more attention focus there.
Although after a time you may want to focus elsewhere to allow the body to do it on its own.

[Cittasanto]

Ok thanks. By the way I've noticed some people put their favourite quotes at the bottom of their messages. How do you do that?

go to the user controll panel ->profile -> edit signature.

[mikenz66]

Hi greggarious,

This question depends a lot on your experience and what method you are practising. I'd recommend reading/listening to the instructions of a reputable teacher and stick to that. Randomly mixing instructions is likely to be confusing if you are not well-established in one technique.

As LY says:

I would really recommend focusing at the nostrils for Samatha meditation, but there's no reason you can't start with focusing on your abdomen until the breath slows.

There definitely can be differences depending on where/how you focus. The abdomen tends to give a "softer" concentration. [This is useful if you want to investigate various body/mind phenomena, but is less useful to for deep concentration.] Furthermore, acording to teachers such as Ajahn Brahm (Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond http://ebookbrowse.com/ajahn-brahm-mindfulness-bliss-and-beyond-chapters1-5-pdf-d84597124) and Commentary-based teachers such as Pa Auk Sayadaw, for deep (Jhana level) concentration you'll eventually be letting go of particular physical sensations for the concept of the breathing and the nostrils (or in AB's case " knowledge that breathing is happening" is a more useful object.

If you locate the breath at the tip of your nose then it becomes “nose awareness,” not
breath awareness, and if you locate it at your abdomen then it becomes
“abdomen awareness.” Just ask yourself right now: “Am I breathing in
or breathing out? How do I know?” There! The experience that tells
you what the breath is doing, that is what you focus on. Let go of the
concern about where this experience is located. Just focus on the expe-
rience itself.

Mike

[gavesako]

This might be useful:

Ajahn Sudhiro - Qualities of Right Samadhi
http://youtu.be/qnIiqT21dTw


Ajahn Sudhiro - Four Satipatthana
http://youtu.be/DB8qsNNbW-c


Ajahn Sudhiro - Body Scanning Meditation and Ekaggata
http://youtu.be/1NsIPq4zbjI


(Sound is quite low, use headphones to listen.)