Context and intention
An original introductory exercise; it does not replace lineage-specific zazen or other formal training.
Visual study
A teaching you can explore
Body · feeling · mind · dhammas
Four foundations of mindfulness
Four fields of contemplation within the wider Buddhist path.
Read the diagram & interpretation
- BodyBreathing, posture and bodily activity.
- FeelingPleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling tone.
- MindRecognising the condition of the mind.
- DhammasPatterns and teachings used to understand experience.
The four panels organise domains of attention; they are not four locations in the body. Mindfulness includes recognising what is present and remembering the purpose and framework of practice. Dhammas has several translation choices; the discourse includes hindrances and other teaching frameworks.
Keep in mind Mindfulness is not only non-judgmental awareness: these texts also concern understanding and cultivating a path away from suffering.
Sources: MN 10 · Establishing Mindfulness ↗
Before you begin
Choose a short, comfortable session. You can keep your eyes open, use a chair, adjust position or stop. If inward attention becomes unsettling, orient to the room and ordinary activity. These educational exercises do not promise treatment, attainment or a particular emotional result.
Prepare · 1 minute
Choose a chair or stable cushion. Support your feet or legs. Let the back be upright without rigidity. Eyes may remain open with an easy gaze. There is no need to adopt lotus posture.
Arrive · 1 minute
Notice the room, light and ordinary sounds. Feel contact with the seat. Adjust anything uncomfortable before continuing.
Attend · 2 minutes
Choose the feeling of the hands resting or feet touching the ground. When attention moves, notice that it moved and return gently. Do not try to stop all thought.
Close · 1 minute
Look around, move the fingers and stand slowly when ready. The session is complete even if it was distracted.
After the practice
What made the posture easier? Change the setup next time rather than enduring avoidable discomfort.
Art & contemplation
Look, learn, reflect
A place to return
A quiet bench evokes an accessible moment of attention. The setting is imagined and the person is not a named teacher. Meditation can also happen amid ordinary household sounds, without a remote retreat or a perfectly quiet mind.
A moment to reflectWhat is one manageable pause you can make in your day?
Follow this theme ↗A question to carry with you
Pause and reflect.
What made the posture easier? Change the setup next time rather than enduring avoidable discomfort.
Sources & further reading
Study notes and examples are original explanations. Follow the links for the source texts and their own contexts.