While sutta knowledge is invaluable, it can also help to receive practical guidance on how to establish mindfulness. Akincano demonstrates some inquiries to deepen mindfulness of the breath.

Practice: Mindfulness of the Breath

The breath is considered part of the first satipatthāna: mindfulness of body. Without attempting to control the breath, or seeking any particular result, try working with the inquiries Akincano has offered.

• Depth – how deep does your breath go right now?
• Rhythm – how fast is your breathing? Are your in-breath and out-breath even?
• Tone – without seeking to control the breath, is your breath alive, springy, vital or tepid, flat, lifeless?
• Texture – is your breathing smooth, soft, silky? Or perhaps there is a little jaggedness, a snag, coarseness, some roughness?
• Resistance – how easily can breath enter into my body? How much effort is needed?

Sutta Excerpt: Mindfulness of Breathing

We've seen that the Satipatthāna Sutta offers a rich range of objects for mindful contemplation. For the moment, you may want to begin satipatthāna practice through mindfulness of the breath. Read the following excerpt from the sutta on practicing mindfulness of the breath.

Mindfulness of breathing

"And how does a practitioner live contemplating the body in the body?

Herein, practitioners, a practitioner, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, one sits down with one’s legs crossed, keeps one’s body erect and one’s mind­fulness alert.

Ever mindful one breathes in, mindful one breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, one knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, one knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, one knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, one knows, "I am breathing out a short breath."

"Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in," thus one trains oneself. "Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out," thus one trains oneself. "Calming the body, I shall breathe in," thus one trains one’s self. "Calming the body, I shall breathe out," thus one trains oneself."

The analogy of the turner

"Just as a skillful turner or turner's apprentice, making a long turn, knows, "I am making along turn," or making a short turn, knows, "I am making a short turn," just so the prac­ti­tioner breathing in a long breath, knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, one knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, one knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, one knows, "I am breathing out a short breath." "Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in," thus one trains oneself. "Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out," thus one trains oneself.

"Calming the activity of the body, I shall breathe in," thus one trains oneself. "Calming the activity of the body, I shall breathe out," thus one trains oneself."