Breath Regulation Methods Before Meditation

Deep breathing is a method that can quickly calm the body and mind. Before meditating, one must regulate the breath. Once the breath is regulated and the qi flows to the dantian (elixir field), not only will the body be healthy, but discursive thoughts will also diminish. When qi reaches the dantian, if a thought arises in the mind, it feels extremely mentally taxing, making one unwilling to engage in deluded thinking, thus calming the mind.

The practice method is as follows:

After sitting cross-legged, first exhale completely to expel the turbid qi, starting from the abdomen and pushing the breath outward. After exhaling completely, the abdomen should be sunken. Pause briefly, then begin to inhale. Always inhale through the nose, not the mouth. The inhalation should be long and slow—slow and long, slow and long. Continuously visualize the qi moving gently from the nasal cavity, through the trachea, lungs, and chest cavity, down to the dantian in the abdomen. Even if the qi cannot initially reach the dantian, maintain this visualization, as it helps guide the qi downward, facilitates the unblocking of the Ren meridian, and opens the internal organs. After inhaling fully, the abdomen should be expanded. Pause briefly, then slowly exhale through the mouth, ensuring the exhalation is also somewhat slow. After exhaling completely, close the mouth, pause briefly, and repeat the inhalation and exhalation process.

Note: The duration of inhalation should be long. The longer the inhalation, the more focused the attention, the clearer and calmer the mind, and the easier it is for the qi channels to flow. The qi must be drawn all the way to the dantian in the abdomen. If the qi truly flows to the dantian, attempting to engage in discursive thoughts at that moment becomes impossible, because generating deluded thoughts is mentally taxing. Contemplating a mundane matter would feel extremely, extremely exhausting, so one naturally refrains from thinking. At this point, the mind becomes clear and calm, fundamentally free from afflictions, and incapable of producing any unwholesome thoughts.

After regulating the breath, proceed to practice seated meditation and prostration to the Buddha. This way, entering deep concentration (samadhi) will be both profound and swift, bringing well-being to both body and mind. If seated meditation for concentration is practiced well, the entire day will be filled with physical and mental ease. Then, by practicing meditative concentration (dhyana) during activities, meditation in motion (dongzhongding) becomes easier to generate and maintain. The practice of concentration should combine stillness and motion, allowing them to complement and mutually benefit each other. One must not emphasize only meditation in motion while neglecting meditation in stillness (jingzhongding). Meditation in motion without the nourishment of meditation in stillness is weak and unreliable, easily scattered. It is essential to integrate stillness and motion in practice; only then will the attained concentration be stable and capable of deepening. Everyone is encouraged to practice this diligently.