MIDL Training 7-12

 Purpose:

To develop the ability to observe natural breathing in order to cultivate mindfulness and concentration. To increase the accuracy of awareness to one point and to ground within breathing.

Benefits:

This mindfulness training develops the ability to mindfully observe natural breathing through its cultivation of mindfulness and one-pointed concentration, aiding in the settling of the  Hindrances:  (attraction, aversion, restlessness, sluggishness, doubt).

Summary:

After grounding awareness within your body, allow yourself to relax and open your sensitivity to the natural flow of breath within your body. Wherever breathing appears to you is ok. Just be aware of the general experience of the flow of the breathing, not locating it in any one place.

As your mind settles down, bring awareness to the one point in your body where the experience of breathing is most clear to you. Silently say "in" as the breath draws in, silently say "out" as the breaths goes out. Mentally feel each breath as you say this. Whenever you notice your attention has wandered silently say "wandering, wandering", soften, ground in your body, slowly breathe out through nose and wait for breath to come in by itself.

Instruction:

Step 1: Create Your Foundation

Take a seated meditation posture and gradually bring awareness to your whole body as in MIDL 1/52. In a general way start to become aware of the experience of warmth or coolness, of points of touch.

Step 2: Relax Awareness into Your Body

Once your mind has settled down gradually relax awareness into the experience of your body. Relax into sounds, into warmth, coolness and touch. Relax all effort. Start to notice the natural flow of breathing within your body, picturing the in & out-breath as one.

Instructions Continued: 

Step 3: Bring Mindfulness to the Front

Relax any tension you feel in your chest and belly allowing your breathing to flow freely. Wherever the experience of breathing appears to you is ok. Do not try to place it anywhere but rather just be aware of it as it moves within the centre of your body.

Step 4: Training Your Attention

To help train your you can use a silent mental word called a label, such as “in” when the breath comes in and “out” when it goes out. Whenever you notice your attention has wandered silently say "wandering, wandering", soften, ground in your body, slowly breathe out through nose and wait for breath to come in by itself.

How Often?

Practice daily for 1 week. In your first meditations use the guided meditation above then learn to alternate between guided and unguided meditations. If you feel you would like to continue with this meditation longer then for 1 week then that is perfectly ok. 

Investigation:

Play with how little effort you need to observe the movement of your breath as it comes in and out. Pay attention to the experience of your breathing. The changing sensations within your body, rather than the breathing itself. Take interest in every time you forget that you are sitting in meditation and become lost with habitual thought and how labelling helps to establish mindfulness. 

Purpose:

To develop the ability to observe the full length of each breath from the beginning, to the middle to the end. To develop initial one-pointed concentration in order to settle Five Hindrances (attraction, aversion, restlessness, sluggishness and doubt). To develop accuracy and continuity of the factors of attention (curiosity, mindfulness, concentration and awareness) and to ground awareness in breathing.

Benefits:

This mindfulness training develops the accuracy of your attention by being more attentive towards the experience of your natural breathing by rubbing awareness along the length of each breath.

Summary:

Where in the previous training you applied one noticing to each breath: in and out. During this training you apply multiple noticing by rubbing awareness along the length of each breath, thereby developing continuity of mindfulness and concentration. This is done by intentionally bringing your awareness towards the beginning of each in-breath and the beginning of each out-breath. 

This naturally develops a clear perception of the length of each breath, allowing you to rub awareness along its length. This creates the basis for the development of one-pointed concentration and the temporary suppression of the Five Hindrances to Meditation.

Instruction:

Step 1: Create Your Foundation

Take a seated meditation posture and gradually bring awareness to your whole body as in MIDL 1/52. In a general way start to become aware of the experience of warmth or coolness, of points of touch. Start to notice the natural flow of breathing within your body.

Step 2: Bring Mindfulness to the Front

Relax any tension you feel in your chest and belly allowing your breathing to flow freely. Wherever the experience of breathing appears to you is ok. Do not try to place it anywhere but rather just be aware of it as it moves within the centre of your body.

Instructions Continued: 

Step 3: Aware of the Length of Each Breath

Intentionally bring your awareness towards the beginning of each in-breath and out-breath until they become clear to you. Next, become aware of the middle and end of each breath. 

Gently rub awareness along the full length of each breath. Soften your effort. Notice whenever your attention wanders away from the breathing.

How Often?

Practice daily for 1 week, begin mindfulness of breathing by observing the breath as its flows autonomously through your body. Observe and label any movements of your attention away from the breath. Once sufficient concentration has developed, that is the five hindrances to meditation have settled down and your attention is not longer drawn out to your five senses then change the way that you observe the breathing.

 
Investigation: 

Take interest in what it means to clarify the beginning of each in-breath and out-breath. Be curious about the movements of your attention away from the breathing, particularly towards thinking.  

When the beginning of these breaths become clear you start to play with the amount of effort needed to become fully aware of the middle and end of each breath without becoming restless. Investigate what it means to intentionally rub awareness along the length of each breath while being sensitive to relaxing the effort behind this intention. 

Purpose:

To develop the ability to be aware of your whole body as it breathes. To develop accuracy and continuity of the mental factors (curiosity, mindfulness, concentration and awareness). To ground awareness within the whole body as it breathes.

Benefits:

This mindfulness training develops the ability to mindfully observe your body as it naturally breathes. This balances your mental factors and increases the clarity of awareness regarding the six senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, mind).

Summary:

It is necessary in mindfulness meditation to move from the development of initial one-pointed concentration, to a more open momentary concentration, in order to develop wisdom. To make this transition you need to intentionally change your perception of breathing from mindfulness of your breathing as it draws in and out of your body. To the experience of the expansion & deflation of your whole body as it responds to breathing. This is done by intentionally becoming aware of different phases of your breathing. Starting with the experience of the breath at the tip of your nose, moving into your head, then chest and belly and finally into the experience of your whole-body breathing.

Instruction:

Step 1: Create Your Foundation

Take a seated meditation posture and gradually bring awareness to your whole body as in MIDL 1/52. In a general way start to become aware of the experience of warmth or coolness, of points of touch. Start to notice the natural flow of breathing within your body. Be aware of each breath as it comes in, and as it goes out again.

Step 2: Aware of Breathing in Your Nose and Head

Intentionally bring your awareness to the experience of the breath at the tip of your nose. Experience the different sensations you can feel there. Next see if you can experience breathing inside your head and see what sensations you can feel there.

Instruction Continued

Step 3: Aware of Breathing in Your Chest & Upper Back

Then gently bring your awareness to the experience of breathing in your chest. Experience the different sensations you can feel there. Next see if you can experience breathing inside your upper back and ribs and see what sensations you can feel there.

Step 4: Aware of Breathing in Your Belly and Whole Body

Then gently bring your awareness to the experience of breathing in your belly. Experience the different sensations you can feel there. Widen your awareness to your whole body and become aware of your whole body as it breathes. As it expands and deflates.

How Often?

Practice daily for 1 week, begin mindfulness of breathing by observing the experience of the breath as its flows in and out through your nose - autonomously - free from control. 

Investigation:

Pay attention to the change in experience of breathing in different parts of your body. Observe how moving awareness through your body affects your mind and perception of breathing. Be curious in regards to changes in stability of awareness of breathing at different points within your body and soften any restlessness that arises. 

Purpose:

To change from mindfulness of in & out-breathing to mindfulness of your body as it breathes. To learn to open with the expansion of the in-breath to experience all your senses and to soften with the deflation of each out-breath. To understand what it means to ground within the experience of the whole-body breathing in order to. develop accuracy and continuity of the factors of attention.

Benefits:

This mindfulness training develops the ability to mindfully observe whole body naturally breathing and balances the mental factors of curiosity, mindfulness and momentary concentration. 

Summary:

In this mindfulness training you develop your awareness of the expansion and deflation of your whole body as it responds to breathing. This is done by aligning awareness with the length of the expansion of your body with each in-breath and with the deflation of your body with each out-breath. 

The natural expansion of your body can then be used to experience all your senses: How you are feeling now. The natural deflation of each outbreath is then used to soften into this experience. At first the perception of body-breathing is most clear as movement in the shoulders, upper chest and upper back. But gradually it expands until your whole body is experienced as breathing itself. 

Instruction:

Step 1: Create Your Foundation

Take a seated meditation posture and gradually bring awareness to your whole body as in MIDL 1/52. In a general way start to become aware of the experience of warmth or coolness, of points of touch. Start to notice the natural flow of breathing within your body. Be aware of each breath as it comes in, and as it goes out again.

Step 2: Aware of the Length of Each Breath

Intentionally bring your awareness towards the beginning of each in-breath and out-breath until they become clear to you. Next, become aware of the middle and end of each breath. Gently rub awareness along the full length of each breath.

 Instruction Continued 

Step 3: Aware of Your Whole-Body Breathing

Bring your awareness to the area of your shoulders, chest and upper back and experience the expansion and deflation of breathing here. Gradually open your awareness to your whole body as it naturally breathes. Align your awareness with the expansion of each in-breath and open to your all your senses. Align awareness with the deflation of each out-breath and soften along the length of the breath. 

How Often?

Practice daily for 1 week, begin mindfulness of breathing by observing the experience of the breath as its flows in and out - autonomously - free from control. Observe and label any movements of your attention away from the breath. 

Once the five hindrances have settled down and a base concentration developed, change your perception of breathing by widening your awareness to your whole body. Bring your awareness to the experience of your whole body as it breathes so that the full length of the expansion of the in-breath and deflation of the out-breath become clear to you.

Investigation:

Play with what it means to allow your body to breathe naturally free from control. Investigate the amount of effort that is needed to align your awareness with the expansion and contraction of your whole body as it breathes. As your body fills and expands, expand your awareness beyond your body to experience all six of your senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, mind). As your body deflates investigate what it means to borrow this breath to soften relax into experience as in MIDL training 4 & 5.