Are you interested in practicing the old, ancient technique of Anapanasati meditation taught by Buddha? It is a type of meditation that has been widely used in different modern and traditional meditation programs. Even today, Anapanasati meditation forms the core meditation practices of many meditation forms. Anapanasati is formed from two words:

• Anapana meaning to breathe or inhale and exhale
• Sati means mindfulness

So, in a complete sense, Anapanasati meditation means mindfulness of breathing, which is a sensation caused due to the movement of breathing in the body. The main focus is on breathing and hence this meditation is also termed as mindful breathing.

Benefits Of Anapanasati:

Its importance and success have been demonstrated from time to time scientifically with proper research and study. Some of the benefits include:

1. It is known to improve your ability to focus, perform and execute functioning such as decision making, planning, inhibiting actions that are inappropriate and, simultaneously, initiating appropriate actions.
2. Anapanasati lowers the speed of aging of the brain by increasing the gray matter density in the areas that are involved in regulating attention.
3. This meditation technique provides several benefits to the body and the mind and also helps the practitioners in their spiritual growth.

Technique Of Anapanasati:

The traditional method, as told by Buddha in his Anapanasati Sutta discourses, is to practice meditation in a forest under a tree and observe the breath. The main attention should be on your breath, and you must notice whether the breath is long or short, whether there is a pressure on the nose while inhaling or exhaling and so on. In this way, you should concentrate on the effect of the breathing movement on your overall body.

Experts advise initially using it by simplifying so that the new practitioners do not get confused while performing the Anapanasati meditation. According to the technique, the new practitioners should count the number for each inhalation, such as 1, 2, 3 and up to 10 and then again start from 1. Similarly, counting can be done for exhalation as well. Surprisingly, you can also perform Anapanasati meditation while alternating between walking and sitting.

The Eight Steps Of Anapanasati Meditation:

Meditation masters and commentators have come up with eight gradual steps for performing Anapanasati meditation. These are as follows:

1. Counting:

Counting is especially for those practitioners who have not practiced this form of meditation earlier. People who have been practicing Anapanasati for some time, do not need to follow this step. But, having knowledge of this step always helps in carrying out the meditation whenever you lose your focus or need help in concentrating.

2. Following:

In this step, you are expected to follow the breath using the mind. Once the mind is focused on the counting and slowly shifts its attention to breathing in and out, there is no need to keep on counting and it is replaced by mental tracking. It is the stage when you do not deliberately count your breathing, but you feel and notice it naturally and focus on it.

3 and 4. Contact And Fixing:

These two steps are carried out simultaneously and indicate that you have reached a level of stronger concentration. When you start minding the breathing, you will feel that your breathing becomes more tranquil and subtle. Slowly, the body becomes calm, and you do not feel tiredness or pain.

The eight steps are named: counting (ganana); following (anubandhana); contact (phusana); fixing (thapana); observing (sallakkhana); turning away (vivattana), purification (parisuddhi); and retrospection (patipassana). These eight cover the whole course of meditative development up to the attainment of arahatship.

5 to 8. Observing To Retrospection:

When the mental attention is fixed, you reach jhana and slowly advance towards insight meditation or vipassana. There are several paths and stages that you cross while reaching the vivattana or turning away phase starting from the supramundane paths.

As you progress through these eight stages of purification, you slowly let go of all the negative feelings and your body and mind are filled with new divine energy and positivity.

If you are on the lookout for an exercise or a form of meditation that helps you regain positivity and have a better outlook towards life, Anapanasati meditation is something you should try. You will feel more focused and also be ready to take on any challenge that comes your way.

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by Renold Rajan via STYLECRAZE