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Having trouble sensing the breath

yangster58yangster58
edited August 2012 in Meditation
It seems like whatever I'm trying to focus on, whether the belly or chest or nostrils, I can't seem to connect to the sensations clearly enough. As a result, my mind starts wandering to other things or I just fall asleep. When I focus on the sensations in my nostrils while breathing, I feel absolutely nothing when I exhale. What do I do and what should I focus on?

Comments

  • Telly03Telly03 Veteran
    edited August 2012
    Could this help?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nose_whistle_(instrument)

    OK, joking aside... Your talking about meditation? I'll assume so. I never put too much into the "sensing" wether that be right or wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected if wrong, but just knowing that you are breathing out, and visualize some if you need to. I think that is why, in Zen at least, they start by having you count your breaths so that your mind stays on the breaths and not your shopping list.... count to 10 with each inhale and exhale, repeat, after awhile you can start counting just the inhales or exhales as you get better. I'm still at this stage, but I expect that I'm being trained to not have to count, just attention.
  • Telly03Telly03 Veteran
    @Kangaroo Yes thanks, I left out the part about starting over :)
  • MaryAnneMaryAnne Veteran
    Another way to avoid too much focus on the counting aspect is... just 'whisper' in your head "in" and "Out" as you breath in and out. Only draw out the word in your mind to match the length of breaths you take... "iiiiinnnnnnnn" "ooouuuuuuuuttt".
    This can almost become like a breathing mantra...


    I know counting always distracted my brain! LOL
  • musicmusic
    I have always had this problem of watching the breath. What does it really mean? Watch what exactly - the air around nostrils or chest/belly rising, or what else? It confuses the hell out of me.
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    I found it easier to just breathe in, then mental note "in". Breathe out, then mental note "out". If you forget to make a mental note then you can just start over. It felt easier to do it this way, and I was more focused since there was no stressing over with the breath.
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    @yangster58: If you don't feel any sensations on the outbreath, simply note that.

    @music: It doesn't really matter which component you attend to, as long as it's almost always present.
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