Breath Counting Meditation
Counting breaths from one to ten repeatedly to develop concentration and quiet the mind.
Susokukan (breath counting) is often the first practice taught to Zen students. Count each exhalation from one to ten, then return to one. When you lose count (and you will), simply return to one without judgment. This deceptively simple practice reveals how scattered our mind is and gradually develops one-pointed concentration (samadhi). Studies show that breath counting meditation improves attention span, working memory, and cognitive control. The practice teaches self-compassion - we fail repeatedly, and each time we begin again with patience and kindness toward ourselves.
If your mind wanders, acknowledge it with compassion and return to the breath. Do this ten thousand times if necessary.
Written about in
- What Zen says about habit and discipline
Susokukan is counting exhalations one to ten, and when you lose count, returning to one. The instruction assumes failure as the normal case; Kapleau's version is to come back ten thousand times if necessary. Discipline is defined as the return, not the streak.