As comfort develops, think about how you might spread it through different parts of the body. Because what you’re aiming at here is a sense of full-body awareness, fully aware of the breath energies.
"Then when the breath gets comfortable, what do you do with that? You’ve
got to be careful, because there is a tendency when the breath gets
comfortable to start focusing on the ease and well-being, and to forget
about the breath, or to hope that the concentration will go on automatic
pilot. That’s like falling asleep at the wheel, hoping that the car
will take you where you want to go. You’ve got to keep your attention with
the breath, no matter how comfortable it gets. Remind yourself that the
sense of ease and well-being will do their work in easing the body,
soothing the mind, without your having to wallow in them. So you let the
breath be comfortable, and let that comfort stay, but you stay focused
on the breath.
Then as that comfort develops, you think about how
you might spread it through different parts of the body. Because what
you’re aiming at here is a sense of full-body awareness, fully aware of
the breath energies: not only the obvious ones where you feel the
in-and-out breath, but other subtler ones that go through the arms, the
legs, the torso, the head, as you breathe in, as you breathe out. So
you’ve got body, mind and feelings right here."
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Getting the Most Out of Now"
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