Think of all the cells in your body as being full, and then notice how the process of breathing changes as you think of the body in different ways. Because you’re not desperate you don’t have to browbeat yourself over forgetting.

"So, trust in the process, and give yourself to the process. Be aware of the breath. Keep reminding yourself to stay with the breath. That act of mindfulness is important: Every time you breathe in, every time you breathe out remind yourself, “This is where you want to be; this is where you want to stay.” And if you find that you’ve forgotten, that you’ve wandered off someplace else, well, remind yourself again.

And then come back and be as alert to the breath as possible: How does it feel? Where do you feel the breath? Try to put aside whatever notions you have about how the breath should feel or where you should feel the breath, and try to be sensitive to how you actually feel. Where are the sensations that let you know now the breath is coming in, now the breath is going out? And what’s the quality of those sensations? Is it comfortable? Are you putting pressure on it? If you are, step back a little bit. Allow the sensations to have a fullness of their own without your having to squeeze them in a particular direction. Think of all the cells in your body as being full, and then notice how the process of breathing changes as you think of the body in different ways.

If you bring an attitude of wealth to the meditation, an attitude of contentment to the meditation, you find it a lot easier to put up with the problems that you’re going to encounter: the fact that you’re going to forget and wander off and think about what you were doing last night or what you’re planning to do tomorrow or whatever. When that happens, you can just bring yourself right back. And because you’re not desperate and because you’re not feeling impoverished you don’t have to browbeat yourself over it. Just come back and pick up the job, pick up the work and keep with it."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Giving to the Meditation"

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