Focusing on the breath?

[BENJANI11]

Hi there! First ever entry!

I'm currently undertaking the 8 week course in the 'Mindfulness - Finding Peace in a Frantic World' by Mark Williams and within the first week of guided meditations they give you, they tell you to 'focus on the sensations of the breath in the lower abdomen'.

I was just wondering if it mattered at all what particular aspect of the breath you focused on. As i feel i really have to 'search' for sensations in the lower abdomen or for most part can't feel anything down there! However I can feel sensations in my chest rising and the air flow in my mouth, does it matter if i focus on these instead of their specific lower abdomen instructions in the programme.

Advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[piedwagtail91]

belly,chest or nostrils, it doesn't matter as long as it's the sensations of the breath.
i think they choose one as an example to save going through a list.
when we lead we give a choice and then decide which is best in that particular meditation.
mick

[JonW]

Hi Benjani,
Welcome to the forum.
I'm with Mick on this. Whatever feels most natural for you.
Hope the 8-week course goes well for you. If your scour the forum, there is a specific thread devoted to the Williams/Penman 8-weeker. Also, you might be interested in checking out my interview with Danny Penman on the main site. http://www.everyday-mindfulness.org/int ... ny-penman/
All good things,
Jon, Hove

[Gareth]

Yeah, I'm with Mick and Jon.

I think that wherever you experience the breath is the right place to experience it. I'm usually a nostril man myself.

[BENJANI11]

Very much appreciated guys. I will be sure to check out the other forum and the interview.
Thanks Alot

Ben

[FeeHutch]

Welcome to our community Ben

[barbs55]

When I first started meditating this question worried me a lot, and now I rarely think about it. I have always found it easier to notice the movement of the breath in the body rather than at the nostrils (such as your chest area going up and down) and follow it there. But I noticed early on that I usually follow this movement on my left side up towards my left shoulder, and always never on the right. This worried me for a long time ("Did it have a meaning?" ) but now I realise that anywhere you notice the breath is just fine. The intention is to be following the breath, not where you are following it. It's just your mind doing its best as usual to distract you onto some thinking about the breath. It's so easy to over-think mindfulness!

We need to be with the sensations of the breath, and fortunately as the body knows how to breathe, we don't have to do anything but follow the rhythm. In Headspace he suggests if you get distracted easily into 'thinking' about the breath you can place your hand on your stomach and directly feel the sensation and movement rather than thinking about the 'idea' of the breath.

Personally I find counting the breaths up to 10 and then back to 1 helps me to stay with the sensation. And I'm still following the left-hand side, but not worrying about it anymore......

[rara]

Hi there! First ever entry!

I'm currently undertaking the 8 week course in the 'Mindfulness - Finding Peace in a Frantic World' by Mark Williams and within the first week of guided meditations they give you, they tell you to 'focus on the sensations of the breath in the lower abdomen'.

I was just wondering if it mattered at all what particular aspect of the breath you focused on. As i feel i really have to 'search' for sensations in the lower abdomen or for most part can't feel anything down there! However I can feel sensations in my chest rising and the air flow in my mouth, does it matter if i focus on these instead of their specific lower abdomen instructions in the programme.

Advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Focus on these first. In Qi Gong and related medical practices, it would be said something along the lines of "you have blockages so that is why you can only the sensations in your chest and mouth". Make of that what you will. The Chinese definition of Qi or Chi is complicated as there are so many interpretations.

So just focus on these sensations first. Eventually, with practice, these "blockages" will subside and you will be able to create these warming sensations in the lower abdomen (or the Lower Dan Tien as it is known as in Qi Gong etc.)