Four Foundations: Mindful of Breath

Mindfulness is a radical act of focusing the attention onto the present moment without judgment. When we cultivate awareness, we bring the practice off the cushion into everyday life. In the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness from the Pali canon, the Buddha instructs his disciples to begin all mindfulness practice with the breath. Let us “go to the forest, to the foot of the tree, or an empty room,” and breathe.