For Buddhists, shamatha instruction is typically first and shamatha, often translated as “calm abiding,” is simple to explain. You simply sit and try to settle the mind without becoming distracted by thoughts or anything else, like ambient sounds in the room for example. A focal object is often introduced to help gather the mind toward an object, in a “light touch” kind of way. This gives the beginner practice in applying attention to something and also keeping it there. It’s training in non-distraction. If the object to focus on is a small rock, keeping attention on the rock with a soft gaze is the practice of shamatha. Returning attention to the rock once it is distracted  is also the practice of shamatha. Continuing to apply attention to the rock is also the practice of shamatha.

The breath is often introduced as the focal object instead of a rock. Some people are very visual, and their eyes are quickly distracted by incoming images. For them, focusing on the rock can be an excellent initial practice. For someone less prone to visual distractions, using the outbreath as the focal object can be very effective. If you are with your breath, you are automatically abiding in the present moment, which makes this a very effective practice. It requires attention to what is happening right now, and to do so  in a non-distracted way. This is the practice of shamatha.

A less well-known practice that I find incredibly effective as a next stage is to imagine that the breathing is no longer happening just within the pulmonary passage. Rather, you imagine that you are breathing in and out through every pore of your body. The attention shifts from the physical act of breathing to the imagined act that the breathing is happening through every pore, expanding one’s experience to the entire body. When doing this, there is nothing to visualize or see. You just open yourself up to the possibility that the very routine act of breathing is now happening in a unique and interesting way. Attending the outbreath, which was very boring and mundane, and therefore likely to trigger distracting thoughts, is now unique and interesting, and conducive to maintaining non distraction. Try it yourself the next time you practice shamatha. See if it helps you limit distraction and embrace a more spacious session of mindfulness of breath and body.