Counting Breath Meditation

If your mind races during meditation, counting breaths provides an anchor that keeps you focused without force.

How to practice:

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take a few natural breaths to settle in.

2. Begin counting each exhale. Inhale naturally. Exhale, count "one." Inhale. Exhale, count "two." Continue to ten.

3. When you reach ten, start over at one. If you lose count (you will), simply return to one. No judgment.

4. Practice for 5 to 15 minutes.

The counting is not the meditation. It is the railing that keeps you on the path. Your awareness of the breath is the meditation. The counting simply helps you notice when your mind has wandered.

Beginners can count to five instead of ten. Advanced practitioners can count only the inhales or try counting backwards.