Two Introductory Exercises: Knowing each breath

Exercise 2, Hearing and Breathing

All the time we sit Just Hearing whatever sounds may arise, we are doing something else too. Often we don't notice it, but we breathe while doing everything in life. Exercise 2 is about bringing awareness to our breathing, as well as to whatever we're hearing.

Awareness of breathing, without changing it

What's tricky about this exercise is that when we become aware of our breath, we often change our pattern of breathing. We can take a breath when we choose, or hold our breath for a time. We can change the depth and the speed of our breathing. For this exercise, try to become aware of whatever pattern of breathing has already been established, without changing it.

It's all too easy to change the way we're breathing, so I suggest we need "sneak up" on the body when it's busy doing its own thing with the breath. To do this, we begin this exercise by practising Just Hearing again, becoming fully aware of sounds but paying no attention to the breath. As you focus on hearing sounds, you may well become aware of taking breaths also, but it will be a background awareness of our natural breathing pattern. Then we can change the balance of our focus to bring the same amount of awareness to both breaths and sounds.

Notice the pattern of your breathing. Be aware of the in-breath, then of the out-breath. Then you may find the body pauses for a little time. Don't jump in at that point to take another breath, but at the same time, don't prolong the pause either. Just let the body take the next breath in its own time.

If you do find yourself beginning to control the breath, then forget about it again. Go back to the first exercise and bring full awareness to hearing. Let the pattern of your breathing settle down, and then try again. Try to be equally aware of hearing sounds and of experiencing your breathing.

Getting distracted

You may find that having two things to do at the same time is helpful. The mind is more fully occupied. That makes it more difficult for distractions or wandering thoughts to take you away from the exercise. Eventually you may be distracted again, and when you are simply go back to your practice without any fuss. Just take it up again, as if there had been no interruption. A more occupied mind also makes your awareness of both hearing and breathing "softer". It helps you to stop "trying hard" and to relax into experiencing both sounds and breaths, just the way they are.

Since this exercise is a natural development of the first one, you may be able to fit it into the same quiet moments between the busyness of other activities. But you may also find you can spend longer on this one, because it's less easy to become distracted. Do fit it into whatever gaps you can, at different times of day and perhaps in different places too. But you may also like to create a time especially for these awareness exercises. That new slot in your routine may then become the time you can devote to Anapana.

Exercise 2, Just Hearing and Breathing, summary

• Stop whatever you're doing; sit, stand or lie still.
• Close your eyes, and just hear whatever sounds may be audible.
• Don't get involved with what you're hearing, don't start to think about the sounds, just hear them.
• When your attention wanders, simply bring it back again to whatever you can hear. Whatever may have distracted you doesn't matter, just let it go and focus again on whatever you can hear.
• As you hear sounds, notice your pattern of breathing too. If possible try to become equally aware of both sounds and breaths
• Notice each in-breath and each out-breath. Notice any pause between the breaths. Don't change how you're breathing, but try to bring the same passive awareness to your breathing as you do to what you're hearing.
• Again, when your attention wanders, simply bring it back to the exercise again.
• Enjoy this exercise for as long as you like, but when enough is enough, bring it to an end, open your eyes and return unhurriedly to whatever awaits you next.