Problems in Cultivating Meditative Concentration

Question: I can now sit in full lotus for one and a half to two hours, using abdominal breathing with natural breathing, without guiding the breath with the mind. When the breath is faint, it is easy to become drowsy, and it is very difficult to still the breath and enter meditative concentration (samādhi). When I contemplate the breath, I try to make the inhalation as slow and long as possible. May I hold my breath for as long as I can before exhaling? Is either abdominal breathing or chest breathing acceptable?

Answer: Both are acceptable. In the initial stage of practice, they benefit the body and make it easier to enter meditative concentration. However, if you have practiced for a long time and wish to enter meditative concentration and engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), deliberately holding your breath will prevent deep dhyāna, and you will also be unable to contemplate and deliberate. Only after the practice has become extremely proficient, when you no longer need to hold your breath, can you engage in contemplative practice.