Anapanasati

Anapanasati, meaning mindfulness of breathing, is a foundational meditation practice in Buddhism that centers attention on the breath as an anchor for concentration and insight. It is described in the Anapanasati Sutta of the Pali Canon and is closely related to the broader framework of satipaṭṭhāna, or the four foundations of mindfulness.

In practice, a practitioner typically sits with a stable posture and directs awareness to the sensations of breathing, often at the nostrils or the abdomen. The basic method involves noticing the in-breath and the out-breath, and may include components such as counting breaths, noting whether the breath is long or short, and simply observing the flow of respiration without attempting to control it. Over time, the practice is described as progressing through a sequence of aspects—commonly organized into four tetrads or sixteen steps—expanding the focus from the breath itself to related bodily sensations, feelings, states of mind, and eventually to examined phenomena or teachings such as impermanence and dependent origination.

The aims of Anapanasati are to develop concentration (samadhi), mindful awareness (sati), and insight (vipassana) into the nature of experience. Practiced diligently, it can stabilize attention, reduce distraction, and support further inquiry into the nature of mind and reality. In contemporary settings, Anapanasati is taught in traditional Theravāda contexts as well as modern mindfulness programs, retaining its core emphasis on the breath as an anchor for clear awareness.