One, three,
or eleven minutes.

Before you begin

1. Sit. A chair, a cushion, the floor — whichever lets your back stay tall without straining.
2. Soften. Let the shoulders drop. Unclench the jaw. Rest the hands somewhere they don’t need attention.
3. Eyes. Closed, or open with a soft downward gaze. Both are fine.
4. Breath. Don’t change it. Only notice it. The breath was here before you needed it.

When a thought arrives — and it will, again and again — you do not need to chase it away. Simply notice it, and quietly return to the breath. That returning is the practice.

At the end you will hear a soft bell — three gentle rings, spaced apart. The last one will be very quiet. On a phone, a brief vibration will also reach you. You do not need to open your eyes for any of it.