Dharana 5 of 112 · verse 51

Between Two Breaths, All Day

Take the gap between two breaths off the cushion and into the day.

Guided practice

00:00Ready

5 minutes. Anywhere, eyes open or closed.

Beginner5 min

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The practice

At any point in the day — queueing, waiting for a kettle, between two emails — find the gap between one breath and the next and rest in it for the length of that gap. Then carry on with what you were doing. Do it many times, briefly, rather than once at length. No posture, no closed eyes, no preparation.

What it works on

The text is explicit that this one is for every moment and every place. It is the bridge between sitting practice and an ordinary life, and the only dharana whose instruction includes how often rather than how long.

Notes

  • Frequency is the active ingredient. Twenty gaps noticed across a day does more than twenty minutes on a cushion once a week.
  • This pairs naturally with any practice already on Shoonyaka — it asks for no extra time at all.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.