Basic Sitting Meditation and Breathing Regulation
There are many methods for breathing regulation during sitting meditation, such as inhaling deeply until you can’t take in any more air, then exhaling completely, or using the turtle breathing method, among others.
Personally, I use the natural breathing method for regulating my breath while meditating. With this method, you don’t need to consciously pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing; just breathe naturally as you do in your daily life. It’s simple and easy, and it won’t make your breathing feel unnatural or strained because you’re not counting seconds or thinking about how many times to inhale and exhale in a minute.
The natural breathing method is the easiest way to start with breath regulation in meditation. Once you’ve been meditating for a while, you’ll find that when you’re not paying attention to it, following your usual breathing rhythm makes you forget whether you’re even breathing at all. The subtlety of this almost imperceptible breath regulation allows you to blend into the surrounding energy field; your body won’t feel uncomfortable but rather very relaxed. Eventually, during meditation, you won’t particularly notice the rhythm of your breath or regulation. From my own experience, this is a good sign of entering into natural meditation. I have had experiences where I forgot to breathe entirely; it felt as if every pore in my body was my breath, leading to a deep abdominal breathing technique where the lower abdomen would gently retract.
Breath regulation during meditation will vary according to our current physical condition. Just like how there are four seasons in climate, we also experience times when we feel particularly short of breath or especially smooth and comfortable. These variations don’t require too much concern; what’s important is to move with your own rhythm and pace while harmonizing with your inner self and surroundings. By maintaining a natural state of breathing, you’ll naturally enter a state of self-forgetfulness where your body will automatically adjust each breath.
by- Yin Lin
