Applying the GOSS Formula

When cultivating calm and tranquility during mindfulness of breathing, you can use the GOSS Formula in this way to develop a momentum of letting go:

Ground > Observe > Soften > Smile > repeat.

1. G = You develop mindfulness of your breathing while keeping a background peripheral awareness of your whole body as a grounding point.
2. O = You are curious about accessing the pleasure of relaxing/letting go in each breath to develop a momentum of letting go in your mind.
3. S = You find the pleasure in your meditation object and letting go, softening/relaxing into it.
4. S = You smile with your eyes into the pleasure of letting go. Smiling into your body and breathing, finding pleasure in it.
5. Repeat.

When there are background experiences within your peripheral awareness, but your mind takes no interest in them you can use the GOSS formula in this way to develop calm and tranquility.

Ground > Observe > Soften > Smile > repeat.

1. G = You don't need to do anything; you are already grounded in your body & breathing.
2. O = You observe background thoughts, sounds, etc. they do not pull your attention.
3. S = You find pleasure in your body & breathing, softening interest in other experiences.
4. S = You smile with your eyes into the pleasure of letting everything go. Smiling with your eyes into your body and breathing, finding pleasure in it.
5. Repeat.

When your attention wanders to sounds or thoughts etc. but you are still aware of your meditation object, you can use the GOSS Formula in this way to settle wandering. 

Ground > Observe > Soften > Smile > repeat.

Note: In this case you have not lost your grounding point (mindfulness of your body):

1. G = You don't need to do anything; you are already grounded in your body & breathing.
2. O = You notice the autonomous, by itself, anatta nature of mind wandering.
3. S = You soften your interest in mind wandering, feeling the pleasure of this relaxation and letting go in your mind, body and breathing.
4. S = You smile with your eyes into pleasure of this letting go, smiling into your body, into your breathing to re-find the pleasure in it.
5. Repeat.

When you become distracted and completely forget your meditation object, you can use the GOSS Formula to weaken your mind's habitual tendency to become distracted.

Ground > Observe > Soften > Smile > repeat.

Note: In this case, you have lost your grounding point (mindfulness of your body). 

1) Ground: As soon as you notice you have been distracted take a few gentle softening breaths to bring awareness back to your body.

2) Observe: Anything strong enough to block your ability to develop relaxation & calm is considered a distraction and an object of curious insight.

• Anatta > sensation > feeling > relationship > effort > soften > smile.

Curious Investigation Sequence:

1. Anatta: observe how being distracted happened autonomously by itself.
2. Sensation: observe the sensations associated with the distraction in your body, separating it into hardness, tension, warmth, coolness, etc.
3. Feeling: observe the feeling of pleasantness or unpleasantness of the distraction.
4. Relationship: observe attraction or aversion / wanting or not wanting / liking or disliking.
5. Effort: observe the effort it takes to be attracted or averse to the distraction.

3) Soften: You soften/relax your interest in the distraction, feeling the pleasure of this relaxation and letting go in your mind, body, and breathing.

4) Smile: You smile with your eyes into the pleasure of this letting go, smiling into your body, into your breathing to re-find the pleasure in it.

5) Repeat.