27 Breath Meditation

I’ve been sitting here and wondering – what I could possibly share to help settle any anxiousness or restlessness you may be feeling around this time of year. I then remembered the counting breath meditation.

It’s simple. No meditation experience necessary. If you can breath (tick) and if you can count (tick) – then you can enjoy and benefit from the 27 breath meditation.

Don’t worry if you aren’t in the most perfect environment.

Make the most of sitting in front of your screen right now, close your eyes and start counting 27 inhale, 26 exhale, 25 inhale, 24 exhale, 23 inhale, 22 exhale, 21 inhale, 20 exhale and so on.

Of course the point is not how many breaths you actually count. It’s all about “you” taking a few moments to digest your day, settle your energies and trigger a calmer version of yourself.

For those of you up for a deeper experience I’m sure you’ll love an old time favourite called “The 100 breath meditation”.

My gorgeous on-line friend Ananga from England who creates the most exquisite soulful music and guided meditations wrote about this exact meditation earlier this year.

So now I’ll hand it over to Ananga as she guides you through the 100 breath meditation. Enjoy.

100 Breath Meditation:

By Ananga

The 100 Breaths Meditation is a very simple breathing meditation that can be practised anytime you want to calm and centre your mind.

Try it in the morning for a gentle contemplative start to your day, or in the evening to clear and relax your mind before sleep. You could also practice a shorter version of just 10 breaths anytime you want to reduce stress and relax throughout your day.

By using your breath as the focus of your meditation you will find yourself settling into a peaceful inwardly focused practice, and the more you do it, the better you will feel.

Setting up:

If practising in the morning you may find it beneficial to shower first. Showering cleanses the mind as well as the body and will help you feel less sleepy during your meditation.

Sitting crossed legged on the floor is ideal, but not essential, the main thing is to be comfortable and have your back straight.

If candles, incense, or gentle music help you enter into a relaxed and contemplative state you can take a minute or two to set your space for meditation. And as you do, prepare your mind to open to the experience with no expectation.

When you are ready to begin, settle down and rest your hands loosely in your lap. Your eyes can be open, or closed, however you feel most comfortable. This breathing meditation will take about 10-15 minutes.

Breathing and being:

In this breathing practice you don’t need to direct your breath in anyway, all you need to do is breath naturally and count each breath.

Begin at 100 and count backwards: 99, 98, 97 etc.

Give your full attention to each breath, feel it come and go of it’s own accord and count it. Become curious about your breath, notice how it feels, notice how it sounds.

Count each breath and experience it fully.

Challenges and tips:

Your mind will wander. It’s what the mind does! Don’t be concerned about it, just bring your mind back as soon as you notice and continue counting and watching your breath.

Sometimes it helps to label your thoughts with detached acknowledgement. For example, just saying “thought”. This let’s your mind know you heard it, but that you’re not getting into it right now.

Your breathing pattern might change, it might deepen or become more steady and rhythmic. Just note it and continue. The aim of this practice is to just sit and breathe and count.

If your legs begin to ache, adjust your posture, have a blanket or cushion with you. Sometimes it helps to support your knees by placing a cushion under them. A blanket is also useful in case you begin to feel cold.

Benefits and new beginnings:

Your breath is a powerful tool. It is the only function in your body that can happen automatically or under your conscious direction.

By learning to notice your breath and taking time out to sit with it you will benefit from being able to pull your mind and senses away from all the noise and business of the world outside and retreat to a peaceful space within you where you can feel still and quiet and at peace.

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Ubud Retreats, Ubud, Bali, 2012:

“I’ve been offering retreats in Bali now for over 7 years – they are my absolute passion. It is my deepest intention with the help of the universe to create the most nurturing, restful and restorative 5 days of your life” Carole Fogarty

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Click here to sample the 9 tracks

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Nature Boy December 20, 2011 at 7:54 am: Wonderful article. Controlled breathing is deeply relaxing.

Lynn Williams January 2, 2012 at 10:09 am: I am constantly blown away by the articles I read about the health benefits of meditation. Meditation serves to lower stress hormones such as cortisol for example that can cause a variety of medical problems and serves to age us as well. Meditation has a wide variety of benefits. The bottom line is that meditation is remarkably good for us and may even help fight off disease. I like the breathing back from a 100 idea. Many people find it difficult to know where to start with meditation and a tip like that one really works.