5. Following Your Mind

Watch your breath without affecting it.
Focus on your breath and follow it.
Count every cycle of breath, starting with the out breath.
Keep track of these cycles, counting to ten,
and then begin again.
If you lose count, start again.
If you count beyond ten, start again.
If you get distracted and completely forget to count, start again when you remember.

Commentary

Note how your mind jumps around as you try to focus on breath. The more stressed we are, the more things we have weighing on us, the harder it is for us to focus. However, the worse our focus, the harder it is for us to effectively deal with the source of our stress. It is better and faster to solve one problem at a time. Practising this exercise trains us in the discipline needed to focus on any one thing, rather than blindly following the mind.