Samatha Meditation: Focus On Your Breath

Samatha meditation is a Buddhist practice that focuses on calming the mind and developing inner strength. The word samatha means calm, serenity, or tranquility of awareness. The goal of this type of meditation is to stabilise the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the object of meditation, often the breath.

The practice involves focusing one's attention on the breath, noticing the inhalation and exhalation, and letting go of thoughts as they arise. This process is repeated, gently bringing one's attention back to the breath each time the mind wanders. Over time, this practice calms the mind, leading to a decrease in unhelpful thoughts and an increase in tranquility and clarity.

Samatha meditation is often seen as a foundation for vipassana, or insight meditation, which involves investigating the nature of thoughts and gaining a deeper understanding of the true nature of the mind. Together, samatha and vipassana are considered complementary qualities of the mind in Buddhist practice.

Samatha meditation is a gentle Buddhist practice to train the mind to develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness

Samatha is a concentration meditation practice, which uses different kinds of supports or anchors. The breath is a common object of focus, as it is said to be suitable for all types of people. The purpose of Samatha meditation is to stabilize the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the object of meditation.

Settle Down and Unwind:

Before beginning your meditation practice, take a few minutes to unwind and relax. Try to still your mind and limit thoughts that may excite or agitate you. You can do this by taking a walk, sitting in the garden, or engaging in any activity that helps you feel calm.

Create a Distraction-Free Environment:

Ensure your meditation space is free from distractions like phones, music, or other people. If you live in a noisy environment, consider using noise-canceling headphones.

Get into a Comfortable Posture:

Find a comfortable sitting posture. You can sit on a cushion, a chair, or even lie down, whichever works best for you. The key is to maintain a straight back to help you stay alert and focused.

Set a Timer:

Set a timer for your meditation practice. As a beginner, start with 20 minutes and gradually increase the duration to 40-50 minutes over a few weeks.

Close Your Eyes and Relax:

Close your eyes and spend the first few minutes of your meditation settling down further. Focus on your body sensations and gradually restrict your attention to your breath.

Observe Your Breath:

Feel the sensation of your breath as it enters and exits your body. Notice the point of contact where the breath touches your nasal area, and observe the duration of each inhalation and exhalation.

Be Gentle and Patient:

It's normal for your mind to wander during meditation. Whenever you notice your attention drifting, gently bring it back to your breath. Don't try to force your attention; instead, be patient and gentle with yourself.

Practice Regularly:

Consistency is essential in Samatha meditation. Aim to practice daily, even if it's just for a short duration. Over time, you'll notice that your attention becomes steadier, and you'll start to experience a sense of calm and clarity.

Experience the Benefits:

With regular practice, you'll find that Samatha meditation brings a sense of inner peace, improved focus, and a clearer understanding of your mind. It helps you develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness, leading to enhanced clarity and understanding.

Combine with Vipassana:

The Buddha often taught Samatha and Vipassana (insight meditation) together as complementary practices. Vipassana arises naturally from a calm and concentrated mind, allowing you to see things as they truly are.

Samatha meditation is a gentle and effective way to train your mind and develop inner strength. It is a practice that leads to a deeper understanding of yourself and your thoughts, fostering tranquility and clarity.

It is a foundational practice for insight meditation (vipassanā)

Samatha meditation is a foundational practice for insight meditation (vipassanā). The Buddha himself followed this path from calm to insight, and it is a central tradition of Buddhist meditation.

The word "vipassanā" means "clear-seeing" and is presented as a quality of mind arising naturally from stilling the mind—achieving samadhi. The Buddha said, "One who has samadhi sees things as they really are." The mind is usually too turbulent to see things as they are, and so samatha is used to still the mind and allow vipassanā to arise.

Vipassanā is a quality that arises when one has samadhi. The various schools disagree on how much samadhi is needed, but it is agreed that some level of samadhi is required. Samatha is the practice of stilling the mind to allow vipassanā to arise.

Vipassanā is a stand-alone technique in some mindfulness schools, but the Buddha almost always used the compound term "samatha-vipassanā", introducing them as complementary qualities of the mind.

Through the practice of samatha meditation, one develops the foundation upon which true liberating insight can manifest itself. Concentration is a prerequisite for the practice of insight meditation (vipassanā), and the required level of concentration is much higher than is often thought. It is not a matter of taking a few breaths and then being quiet enough. It is about keeping the mind fully focused on an object of your choice, without the emergence of a single thought or other mental disturbance.

Only when the mind is calm, serene, manageable, malleable, light, and workable can it perceive the rise and fall of phenomena and the transience of nāma-rūpa (mental processes and matter). Without concentration, the mind is not pure and sharp enough to observe this process.

Samatha meditation is a gentle but effective way of training the mind to develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness, leading to clarity and understanding. By regular daily practice, the unruly mind gradually becomes calmer and gains clarity. We begin to understand the habits of the mind that hold us back from happiness and freedom. We become kinder to ourselves and those around us.

The purpose of shamatha meditation is to stabilise the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the object of meditation. Eventually, this leads to practising without supports and meditating on emptiness itself in an open awareness.

The purpose of samatha meditation is to stabilise the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the object of meditation

Samatha meditation is a gentle yet powerful method of training the mind to achieve inner strength and freedom from restlessness, ultimately leading to clarity and understanding. The purpose of this practice is to stabilise the mind, allowing one to cultivate a steady awareness of the chosen object of meditation.

Samatha, derived from the Sanskrit word 'shamatha', means "peaceful abiding" or "tranquility". It is also referred to as mindfulness or concentration meditation and is often associated with breathing. This technique is an important introductory practice that paves the way for vipassana, or insight meditation.

The traditional practice of samatha involves the use of supports or anchors, which are eventually discarded as one learns to meditate without them, focusing on emptiness and openness. The breath is a common object of meditation, and by observing the inhalation and exhalation, one can begin to calm their thoughts and emotions.

The seven-point posture of Vairochana, an ancient set of posture points, is often employed to align the physical body with the energetic body. This includes having the hands on the lap or knees, a straight back, open shoulders, a slightly open mouth with the tongue resting on the roof, and eyes open, gazing past the tip of the nose. However, it is important to adjust this posture to one's comfort and capabilities, ensuring the back remains straight and the body is relaxed.

The practice of samatha meditation is a gradual process, and one should be patient and consistent in their pursuit of a calm and concentrated mind. It is through this foundation of concentration that true liberating insight can manifest.

Samatha means peaceful abiding or tranquility

Samatha means "peaceful abiding" or "tranquility". It is a foundational Buddhist practice, which involves focusing on the breath to develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness, leading to clarity and understanding.

The purpose of Samatha meditation is to stabilise the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the breath. The mind is trained to develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness, which leads to clarity and understanding. The Buddha himself followed this path from calm to insight, and it is a central tradition of Buddhist meditation.

The practice of Samatha involves focusing on the breath, which acts as an anchor for the mind. The mind is naturally full of thoughts, and Samatha meditation helps one to understand that this is natural. Over time, the practice calms thoughts and emotions, leading to a tranquil state of mind where one can abide peacefully with their thoughts.

The seven-point posture of Vairochana, an ancient set of posture points, is often used to align the physical body with the energetic body during Samatha meditation. The seven points are:

• Hands in lap or on knees
• Straight back
• Widened shoulders to open the heart centre
• Slightly open mouth with the tongue resting on the roof
• Eyes open, gazing about four finger-widths past the tip of the nose

However, it is important to adjust this traditional posture to meet individual needs and capabilities. The most important aspect is to keep the back and spine as straight as possible while remaining comfortable.

During Samatha meditation, one should adjust their body into a comfortable position and focus their awareness on their breath. Notice the inhalation and exhalation, and let go of thoughts as they arise, always returning to the breath. With exhalation, become aware of the breath escaping and dissolving into space, and experience the same with inhalation.

To deepen the practice, one can hold their breath for a few seconds after inhalation before exhaling, thus splitting the breath into three parts: inhalation, holding, and exhalation. Chanting sacred syllables such as "om", "ah", and "hung" during this process is believed to further support awareness and purify the mind.

Samatha meditation allows one to experience their mind as it is and develop clarity and understanding of their thought patterns. It is a gentle yet effective way to train the mind and achieve a state of peaceful abiding or tranquility.

It is also called mindfulness or concentration meditation

Samatha meditation is also called mindfulness or concentration meditation. It is a gentle yet effective way of training the mind to develop inner strength and freedom from restlessness, leading to clarity and understanding. It is the foundation of Buddhist practice and is derived from the word 'shamatha', which means "peaceful abiding" or "tranquility".

The purpose of shamatha meditation is to stabilise the mind by cultivating a steady awareness of the object of meditation. The traditional practice uses different kinds of supports or anchors, eventually leading to practising without supports and meditating on emptiness. The breath is often used as the focus of the practice.

Shamatha meditation allows us to experience our mind as it is. We are able to see that our mind is full of thoughts, some conducive to our happiness and others not. Over time, the practice calms our thoughts and emotions, leading to a decrease in unhelpful thoughts.

The seven-point posture of Vairochana is an ancient set of posture points that can be used to align the physical body with the energetic body during shamatha meditation. The seven points are:

• Hands in lap or on knees
• Straight back
• Widened shoulders to open the heart centre
• Open mouth slightly with the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth
• Eyes open, gazing about four finger widths past the tip of the nose

However, it is important to adjust this traditional posture to meet the needs of our bodies. What is most important is keeping the back and spine as straight as possible and remaining comfortable.

• Adjust the body into a comfortable position and start the practice by becoming aware of your breath. Notice the inhalation and exhalation.
• As you notice the breath, continue to let go of thoughts as they arise. Each time you are distracted by a thought, return to the breath. Keep doing this over and over again.
• Eventually, as you exhale, become aware of your breath escaping and dissolving into space. Experience the same thing with the inhalation.
• Begin to allow your awareness to mix into open space with the breath on both the inhale and exhale.
• To deepen the practice, begin to hold the breath after the inhalation for a few seconds before exhaling. By doing this, you are splitting the breath into three parts: inhalation, holding, and exhalation.
• As you inhale, chant 'om' to yourself. As you hold, chant 'ah'. As you exhale, chant 'hung'. Chanting these sacred syllables is believed to support awareness and purify the mind.
• Continue the awareness practice, letting go of thoughts and returning to the breath. Do this for as long as you can.

Shamatha meditation is a gradual path to liberation, requiring faith, mindfulness, energy, patience and loving-kindness. It is a practice that develops naturally over time.

Frequently asked questions