16 steps of breath meditation

The 16 steps of breath meditation:

1. Breathing in long one discerns, “I’m breathing in long;” or breathing out long, one discerns, “I’m breathing out long.”

2. Or breathing in short, one discerns, “I’m breathing in short;” or breathing out short, one discerns, “I’m breathing out short.”

3. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out sensitive to the entire body.”

4. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out calming bodily fabrication” [the in-and-out breath].

5. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out sensitive to refreshment.”

6. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in an out sensitive to ease.”

7. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out sensitive to mental fabrication.”

8. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out calming mental fabrication.”

9. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out sensitive to the mind.”

10. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out gladdening the mind.”

11. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out steadying the mind.”

12. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out releasing the mind.”

13. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out focusing on inconstancy.”

14. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out focusing on dispassion.”

15. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out focusing on cessation.”

16. One trains oneself, “I’ll breathe in and out focusing on relinquishment.”

References