Page 24 - ZenMastery

Breath Counting

This is a simple technique used in Zen practices to calm an active

mind.

Start with abdominal inhales and exhales. At the end of the first

exhale, make a mental note saying “one”. Inhale, exhale and

mentally count “two”. Continue breathing until you reach “ten”.

Next start counting backwards until you reach “one”. The point

here is to keep track of the numbers so that your attention stays put

and doesn’t detract.

This exercise is a strength building one for the mind. It removes

distracting thoughts and builds concentration power. So if you’ve

never given much thought to your breathing, now’s the time to get

started.

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