Breathing Stopping

[kaoblast]

Hi guys,

I am having a problem with practicing training concentration by being aware of my breath.  My breathing is completely stoping when I just try to be aware of my breathing, and afterwards my body automatically takes a gulp of air in.  This is making it hard just being aware of breathing as I am not breathing, it just stops until i take in a gulp of air unconsciously.  (When i also do this, i have sudden head jerking so it makes it uncomfortable aswell).  Can anyone offer any insight?  Thanks.  Kevin Jeffrey.

[Matthew]

Kevin

Welcome.

Where/what are you concentrating on when noticing the breath? Are you focussed on a particular sensation/movement of the body when breathing?

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[kaoblast]

Hi Matthew,

Thank you .  I am trying to not do anything (like not consciously breathing) but when I do this, my body does not breath at all, and so for 5 seconds I sit there still (without breathing) until my body unconsciously gulps for air.

[kaoblast]

To better answer your question, I am concentrating on my nostrils, but I am trying not to consciously force the breath, (I wait for my body to breathing itself but it does not and instead gulps for air after 5 seconds or so)

[mettajoey]

Hi kaoblast,
It's very common for people to try and control their breathing when they are conscious of it.  So much so that when nurses check pulse and respiration they do not tell the patients and employ tricks like inconspicuously laying their arm across the abdomen to count breaths.  Try less to not control your breath and just try to make it as natural and soft as you can.  Eventually as you progress you will become less conscious of the act of breathing and your breath will become more natural, naturally.   

Warmly,
-Joe

[Matthew]

Dear kaoblast

Have you got your eyes shut when you meditate? If so open them a little and look at the floor about 1 - 1.5 M ahead of you instead.

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[kaoblast]

I see I see, thanks for the suggestions I will try them out

[Stefan]

Maybe a little advice from Goenkaji (repeated in my own words): if there's problems with anapana, then try to breath consciously, not straining it, but softly. (That's probably the same advice that Joey offered, but as my english is not so good I wasn't sure wether I translated his post properly).

Metta, Stefan

(edit: Matthew told me before to work with the eyes as a response to another meditation problem .... here I want to state that this is really useful for a lot of meditative problems ... thanx as always, Matthew!)