Mindfulness of Breathing – Journey 1 Week 4
It’s been a better week than the one before. The heavy cold has been easing off and I’ve not felt quite so bunged up. Consequently, the meditation sessions have been a bit easier.
My breath has seemed a lot closer at times and not nearly as distant, which seems like an improvement. Concentration has been fluctuating a fair bit and I can’t predict how it’s going to be before I start to meditate. Sometimes, I can count maybe 30 breaths (3 lots of 10) without getting caught up in thoughts. Minor thoughts still flit in and out but I am able to stay with the breath. Other times, my mind is a lot more active and I’ll only make it to 6 or 7 breaths before getting distracted.
Physically, I’ve been a lot more comfortable during meditation this week. The tendons in my legs must have finally stretched enough so that they are no longer painful in the meditation position, and my lower back seems to have stopped complaining too. I can sit for 30 minutes now with no aches and pains.
I’ve noticed that it’s easier to focus when I bring my mind back to my breath after having drifted off on thoughts. Maybe my mind is more relaxed after a bit of daydreaming.
During one session, I suddenly noticed that I was watching my breath from a position above and to the right of my nose. I couldn’t figure out if I had always done that and only just noticed, or if it was a new thing. After a few minutes, my attention centred itself behind my nose and remained there for the rest of the session. In the following couple of sessions, I noticed the same shift to the right happen briefly again.
There also seems to be a pressure on my nose during some sessions, like someone pinching my nose just below the bridge. This is the area I feel my breath going in and out, so is the pressure caused by my concentration (what there is of it!) or is it that I’m just more aware of that area so it stands out?
I had a couple of instances outside of meditation where I was suddenly aware that my mind felt quieter and a bit more spacious than normal. It was a nice feeling but it wasn’t strong enough for me to know if it was due to the meditation or just getting better from the cold.
I’m hoping this next week will be better for meditation due to less physical distractions from an aching body and head cold.