ANAPANASATI:

In Pali language, Anapanasati Bhavana roughly translates as “the development of mindfulness (awareness) by observing the breath”.

It is a Buddhist form of meditation which was used by Gautama Buddha and is the pre-practice for Vipassana (Insight Meditation).

The goal of Anapanasati is Samatha (a single-pointed, calm and focused mind). This practice is said to support:

  • Accessing subtle states of body-mind

  • Body awareness & reconnection

  • Mental focus and concentration

  • Nervous system regulation and gentle trauma release

  • Relaxation

  • The decreasing of suffering

Pro-tip:

  • Don’t change or manipulate the breath in anyway throughout the practice.

  • If you can’t feel the breath or sensations at all during the practice, consciously breath a little harder until you can and then stop manipulating the breath - go back to focusing on sensations.

METTA:

Metta is Buddhist practice (Theravadan and Tibetan) that helps the heart open to giving and receiving more love. It is a Pali word that roughly translates as kindness, good will or well-wishing. It is scientifically recognized as an effective compassion practice.


This practice is said to support:

  • Feelings of love, connection and empathy

  • Forgiveness for others and self

  • The experience of positive emotions

  • Selflessness, gratitude and compassion

  • Anxiety and depression

    Pro-tip:

    If connecting with the feeling is difficult, visualize the loving kindness as a colour and/or repeat a positive affirmation. You can imagine each person you send loving kindness to being enveloped in light as you offer them metta.

You can Download your Anapana and Metta Meditation Practice audio below.

 

IMPORTANT:
If you’ve recently been through a trauma, suffer from C-PTSD or are neuroatypical then subtle practices like Anapanasati may not be appropriate for you. You may also find working with Metta or “love” based practices quite triggering. Consult with your therapist and contact an experienced teacher if you’re at all unsure about your practice.

An alternative practice to help you build focus for a scattered mind is the counting meditation. You might use this instead of Anapanasati and then go into Metta or use it alone. You can access a counting meditation audio below.

COUNTING MEDITATION:

The counting meditation is a simple yogic practice that helps with focus and concentration. This practice can be performed in a variety of ways, one can either:

i. Count each inhale and exhale as a number - inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4...until you reach 10 uninterrupted by thought for 5+ consecutive rounds.
ii. Or count down from a large number (usually 100+) without intrusive thoughts until you reach 0 and a relatively focused or relaxed state.

This practice is said to support:

  • Focus and concentration

  • Physical, emotional and energetic tension release

  • Relaxation

  • Re-energizing the body, heart and mind

Pro-tips:

  • As you practice know that you don't have to say the words "inhale" and "exhale" just mentally count the numbers as you breathe.

  • You may visualize the numbers or images that represent the numbers in your minds if this helps with concentration.

  • Remember to stay relaxed and keep breathing deeply - don't equate concentration with contraction.

  • Your deep breaths direct the pace of the counting, your hurried mind does not. If you are moving too quickly that illustrates an underlying anxiety and inability to stay in the present moment. Go slow - become totally immersed in each number as it arises.