SIX STEPS OF MINDFUL BREATHING
By Bhikkhu Thich HuyenChau
Ānāpāna means inhaling (ānā) and exhaling (āpāna) implied. Ānāpāna denotes the practice of
mindful breathing in and out. The focused awareness on breathing in and out is called mindful
breathing (ānāpānasati). This faculty of awareness is the very nature of wisdom (paññā), and
the sustaining power of this attention is known as established mindfulness (satiṭṭhāna).
Breathing functions depend on various bodily and mental states, and therefore do not occur in the
immaterial realms (arūpa-loka), the fourth jhāna, unconscious absorptions (asaññā-samāpatti),
or within the womb. The successful practice of mindfulness of breathing is founded upon the
truthful recognition of the breath, and thus only those who follow the right Dharma (sammā-
dhamma) can fully engage in this practice.
The Buddha taught this method in many discourses. Here, we refer to the exposition in
the Abhidharmakośa by the great scholar Vasubandhu, who presented the practice in six steps:
Step 1: Counting the Breath (gaṇanā)
Focus the mind on inhale / exhale and clearly count from one to ten — no more, no less.
Avoid errors such as:
– Overcounting: thinking “two” when it should be “one,”
– Undercounting: thinking “one” when it should be “two,”
– Misidentifying: mistaking an inhale for an exhale.
If you lose track midway, simply start over from the beginning.
Step 2: Following the Breath (anubandhanā)
Anchor the mind on the inhale, starting from the tip of the nose, gradually moving through
the throat, heart, navel, and ending at the big toes. The exhale extends roughly from a hand’s
length to an arm’s length. The next breath follows the same path.
This stage is more demanding, as the mind must continuously follow the breath without
distraction, thereby strengthening concentration (samādhi).
Step 3: Experiencing the Breath (upalakṣaṇā)
Visualize the breath traveling from the nose tip through the throat, heart, navel, and down to the
big toes as if it were a thread passing through a transparent body.
Suspend the mind on the breath like a thread, and begin to experience its characteristics —
whether it is beneficial or harmful, cool or warm, etc.
Step 4: Contemplating the Nature of the Breath (upalakṣaṇa-pariccheda)
At this point, the breath is no longer just air flowing in and out — it is seen as a material
phenomenon (rūpa) formed by the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.
Physical health and emotions also arise upon this elemental base. Contemplating the nature of
the breath allows one to gradually understand the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā):
– Form (rūpa),
– Feeling (vedanā),
– Perception (saññā),
– Mental formations (saṅkhāra), and
– Consciousness (viññāṇa).
Step 5: Transforming Perception (saññā-parivatti)
Observe that a single breath contains four phases:
– Arising (uppāda),
– Filling (pūraṇa),
– Stabilizing (ṭhiti),
– Transforming into vital energy (vega).
Through this, perception transforms into the four preparatory stages of insight (catūsu
dhammāni):
– Warmth (uṣmagata/noṇa) – the path begins to generate insight,
– Summit (mūrdhan/noṇa) – irreversible commitment to the path,
– Tolerance (kṣānti/khanti) – capacity to endure reality,
– Supreme Dharma (agriya dharma) – entry into the stage of non-arising (anupāda-
dhamma).
By contemplating the impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), non-self (anattā),
and emptiness (suññatā) in a single breath, one develops a perception as clear as seeing a path
to supreme happiness. The Abhidharmakośa, in the chapter “Distinguishing the Noble Ones,”
states:
With Warmth, Nirvāṇa is near;
With Summit, the wholesome roots remain unbroken;
With Tolerance, one no longer falls into evil realms;
With Supreme Dharma, one enters the unconditioned.
Step 6: Realizing Purity (pariśuddhi)
If each of these steps is practiced for 45 minutes with undistracted attention, one may be said to
have attained meditative absorption (jhāna).
Progressing through the five stages — from counting the breath to transforming
perception — one develops a diamond-like concentration (vajra-samādhi). This deep stability
becomes the foundation for the arising of true wisdom (yathābhūta-ñāṇa-dassana), leading to
the direct realization of the Four Noble Truths and the eradication of all causes of suffering.
This is the attainment of pure knowledge (vijjā-visuddhi) — the clear, liberating insight of
an Arahant.
Summary
In the Six Steps of Mindful Breathing, the first two steps establish mental stability, while
the last four cultivate wisdom.
As the mind abides in a single object, the letting go of emotional disturbances occurs naturally.
Consequently, afflictions such as fear, anxiety, depression, etc., are easily transformed and
ultimately eliminated.