When the mind wanders

Anyone who has sat down to pay attention to the breath knows what happens next. A few breaths go by, and then you are planning, remembering, or arguing with someone who is not in the room.

This is not a sign that you are bad at meditation. Noticing that the mind has wandered, and coming back, is the practice.

Notice, then return

When you realise you have drifted, there is no need to trace how you got there. Notice where the mind went. You might name it with a single soft word, such as planning or remembering.

Then come back to the breath at the place you feel it most clearly: the nose, the chest, or the belly. One breath is enough to begin again.

Coming back many times

In five minutes you may come back many times. Each return is complete in itself. You are not building up to a stretch of unbroken attention, and nothing is counted.

Some sittings feel settled and some feel busy. Both are ordinary. The busy ones still hold the same small moment of noticing, often many times over.

A kind tone

The way you come back matters more than how often you leave. Try returning the way you would call a friend's name across a room: warmly, and without scolding.

If you notice frustration, that can be noticed too. It is one more thing passing through.

When it feels hard

If attention on the breath feels uncomfortable, choose a different anchor. Sounds in the room, the feeling of your hands, or the contact of your feet with the floor all work. You can also open your eyes and rest them on one spot.

If sitting brings up something heavy, it is fine to stop. Stand up, look out of a window, and come back another day.