How do I get started with a mindfulness of breathing practice?

1.   Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes or have them slightly open with you gaze cast downward.

2.   Focus your full attention on the feeling of your breath coming in and going out through the nose. Notice where the breath feels most obvious - nose, chest, belly - and just feel the inhale and exhale at that area of the body. This is your anchor. Next, your mind will go into action: thoughts, fantasies, pain, distracting sounds… See if you can notice the distraction without judging yourself.

3.  Come back to the feeling of the breath: The third step essentially IS the practice. As soon as you notice that you’re distracted from the feeling of the breath, bring your attention back over and over. You may need do this 1,000 times, thats ok- it means you’re meditating!

How long should I practice for?

When first starting out, many people find somewhere between 5-15 minutes as a ‘do-able’ length of time. Consistency is better than longer duration. For example 5 mins per day every day is more effective at cultivating a longer term practice than one single 35 min sitting per week.

How do I stop myself from falling asleep?

There are different views on this. Personally, I believe that if you are exhausted and your body is telling you to sleep, you should use the time set aside for meditation to rest (e.g. do a guided rest meditation), or sleep. See if you can get curious about the feeling of being sleepy. Do you think it’s exhaustion? or is it more boredom? or there is an energy of dullness or laxity there? If you decide that you don’t need sleep then you might try meditating with your eyes slightly open, gaze cast down toward the floor. Or you can take a few deep breaths with the intention of energising the body. Alternatively, you may try a walking meditation.