Counting

[monkeymind]

I've started to wonder whether I should spend some time counting my breaths instead of trying to just focus on my breathing.
The reason being that my meditation sessions can be quite hit or miss. Some days I sit and try my best to focus on my breathing and generally pass the time away either successfully observing the breath or at least getting distracted and then coming back, distracted, back, etc. I count either of these outcomes as a successful session.
But sometimes, as today, I just don't settle at all, and I spend the time being fully distracted without noticing and then losing patience and ending the session early.
I think my problem could be weak concentration and I read that counting breaths for a while will help with that.
Actually my book, although its focus is Vipassana and not Zen, says that in the Zen tradition, new students might spend years just counting before moving on to the next stages. I'm not sure I'd be happy to spend years on it but perhaps a few weeks or months?
Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing or views on counting?
Isn't Jon K-Z's background Zen? I haven't read any of his books yet : does he voice an opinion on counting?

[FeeHutch]

Sometimes I use breath counting to help settle myself at the start of formal practice or if I am struggling to be present.
Maybe try it and see how it feels?

[Steve]

I do too sometimes. I find counting breath or deep breathing for a while can help calm my mind if it is being particularly active.

Just being aware of what going on when you find you can't settle is as good too (although this can be hard).

Another option if you just can't settle is to go for a walk, get some fresh air and then try focussing on your breath as you walk. You can count steps per breath if that helps.

Steve

[Gareth]

I used to do breath counting for about the first 6 months of my practice.

[barbs55]

I started meditating via the http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/site where you can follow a year's meditation programme, and they do suggest counting the breaths when you first start, 1 to 10 only and then back to 1, where 1 in the In-breath, and 2 is the Out-breath. You often find you've counted to 12 or even 20 though as your attention wanders a lot at first!

When your mind is really all over the place, they suggest just concentrating on one breath as the whole practice, so counting 1 on the in-breath right to the end of it, and then 2 on the out-breath right to the end of it; and then start again at 1 for the next breath, just whilst the mind settles down. Once things are a bit calmer, you can go back to counting to 10 again. I find this very helpful for focusing, and letting go of the thoughts which are trying to attract my attention.

I used to think I was 'bad' at meditation as I needed counting help, now I know whatever works for you is fine, it's YOUR meditation. I often have a bit of time towards the end of my meditation when I stop counting and just let the mind go off and do what it wants, which is always interesting. There is NO bad meditation (except the one you didn't remember to do!)

[JonW]

"There is NO bad meditation (except the one you didn't remember to do!)"
And, even then, it's not so bad if you remember that you didn't remember to do it. As that in itself is being mindful!
I guess it's easy to forget that we all come to mindfulness (or mindfulness comes to us) for reasons that are purely individual. It might be because one is depressed, suffering from a physical ailment, experiencing huge life changes...there's a million and one reasons. And there's a million and one ways of practicing mindfulness in our lives. What matters most is that we find the practice that suits us.
One thing I'm finding is that, increasingly, I need to be less mindful about being mindful. That's to say, it's becoming more of a natural process that I don't need to consciously think about so much. More and more I come back to my breathe automatically when caught up in my thoughts, rather than having to remind myself. More and more, day by day, it's becoming simply a part of my life, rather than something I "practice". If that makes any sense...

[rara]

I say yes. Sometimes I have to mentally slap myself, others it comes easy. Depends on your frame of mind so do whatever you can to get a hold/focus on something!