---
ai_generation_date: '2026-09-01'
ai_model: gemini-3-pro-preview
audiodharma:
  talks:
    - date: '2021-02-01'
      mp3_url: https://audiodharma.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/talks/12845/20210201-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-guided_meditation_breathing_calms_the_mind.mp3
      speakers:
        - speaker_name: Gil Fronsdal
          speaker_url: https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1
      talk_start_time_seconds: 0
      title: 'Guided Meditation: Breathing Calms the Mind'
      url: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12845
      video_unavailable: false
location_city: Redwood City, CA
video_unavailable: false
youtube:
  id: kjPGnWM3wwo
  imprecise_upload_date: '2021-05-04'
  title: 'Guided Meditation: Breathing Calms Mind'
  upload_date: null
  uploader_str: Insight Meditation Center
  uploader_url: https://www.youtube.com/@InsightMeditationCenter
youtube_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjPGnWM3wwo
---

# Guided Meditation: Breathing Calms the Mind - [Gil Fronsdal](https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1)

_This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers._

## Introduction

This weekend I learned that in a South African language, the word for hello is "I see you."[^1] And the African person who told me this, who speaks the language, said that "I see you" has a kind of opening impact. It's a different way of connecting to people than saying hello. This idea to be seen... it is a little bit odd, as I can't see any of you that I'm speaking to, but I do see the chats. I so much appreciate the greetings and the connection, and I sit down here delighted to begin the mornings this way. So maybe in a figurative way, I see you and offer you my greetings.

In important ways, how we breathe—the experience of breathing—is a reflection of what's happening in the mind. If the mind is tense, the breathing is tense. Certain emotions in the mind or in the heart stimulate the breathing in one way, and other emotions do it a different way. It's also to some degree true of the body as a whole. There's something about when we sit down to meditate, some way in which we experience the body which does in fact express or mirror what's happening in the mind.

It's a profound thing to appreciate this or to actually see how this works. It's not obvious, maybe, on the surface, but it works in the other direction: as the breathing changes, it changes the mind. As the body somehow changes, it changes the mind. I say this as we begin, as we often do, with relaxing the body as a way of entering into meditation.

Relaxing the body and adjusting the breathing are not just done for the sake of physically settling in and being here. It is also a healthy, good influence on the mind or the heart. For example, as we relax the body, perhaps we feel a little bit safer. Maybe we feel a sense of safety, or at least less fear, less anxiety, or less tension. If you're feeling less tension in the body, allow that to translate, waft, or influence the mind into feeling less tense as well. So, relaxing the body is also part of preparing the mind for meditation. I'll talk more about this during the talk.

## [Guided Meditation: Breathing Calms the Mind](https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12845)

To assume a meditation posture and gently close your eyes.

And with your eyes closed, spend a little bit of time rocking back and forth, swaying back and forth, to see if you can just kind of stretch and awaken your body a little bit, and have a sense of your body in space. Then maybe feel the contact with your sitting bones if you're sitting against your cushion or chair.

And then come to center, looking for a way of sitting that feels like the weight of your body is balanced in some way. If you're sitting upright, ensure that the weight of your body is centered over the sitting bones. You're not leaning forward, and your center of gravity is not behind you because you're leaning backwards.

Take a few long, slow, deep breaths, not only to feel your body more fully but to establish the connection between the mind and the body more consciously. Kind of open the channels of communication between the mind and the body.

Feeling the rib cage stretch and expand as you breathe, and feeling the same rib cage maybe collapse or contract as you settle in when you exhale.

And then as you exhale—a long, deep exhale—see if you can relax and soften your body: shoulders, belly. As you take a long exhale and relax the body, let that have an influence on the mind. A quieting of the mind, a relaxing of the mind.

Letting your breathing return to normal. See if we can also do some more relaxing, and see if there's some subtle way that relaxing the body has an influence on relaxing the mind as well.

So, beginning by, on the exhale, relaxing the muscles of the face. As you exhale, softening the shoulders, releasing them to the pull of gravity. Maybe the weight of the arms encourages the shoulders to release a little bit.

Perhaps relaxing your hands, any tightening in the fingers. And, as if the mind participates in the relaxation, relax the center of your chest, your heart center.

Softening the belly, and as it softens, a softening in the mind. Softening in the lower waist and lower back, and relaxing the thighs.

And then to feel your body in some global way. As you exhale, relax the whole body, easing up in any way in which you're bracing yourself against life.

Bringing your attention to your forehead, behind your forehead and the area of the brain, feeling any tension, holding, or pressure that might be there—agitation. As you exhale, relax the thinking muscle. Relax the tensions and pressure associated with thinking, associated with worrying, associated with wanting.

And then once again, feel the global body in whatever way that's easy for you. To the degree to which it's easy, perhaps you feel a subtleness, or a tingling, or aliveness, warmth, some energy coursing through your body. Maybe you can even notice some feelings of contentment or peacefulness in your body.

Within the body, as part of the bodily experience, become aware of breathing. Gently, maybe slightly at the end of the exhale, relaxing the breathing. Maybe you exhale a little longer. At the top of the inhale, a subtle relaxation, releasing. Maybe the inhale continues a little more.

Can you make some small adjustments to the breathing so breathing is more pleasant, more enjoyable? Not dramatically, but just a little bit more. Breathing a little slower, a little faster, a little longer, or shorter. Looking for whatever subtle pleasure there is in your breathing.

Quieting the thinking mind, so there can be more intimacy with the experience of breathing. If there is any coziness or contentment in just being here in your body, or satisfaction being connected to your bodily experience directly, even if it's uncomfortable, maybe you can allow the mind and heart to share in some of that contentment, coziness, or satisfaction. Content just to sit here breathing in this living, pulsing body.

There is an intimacy and deep connection between the mind and the body that functions more deeply or more clearly when the thinking mind is quieter. Gently letting go of your thoughts, appreciating the ways in which the mind can be quieter, stiller, so there's a richer connection and awareness of the body breathing. The goodness of breathing, or the relaxation of the body, can have a nice influence on the mind.

Perhaps there's a way you can soften your belly more, relax it, to settle your breathing further, and to reassure the mind and heart. Breathing in and breathing out.

And then when we breathe, we breathe together with all breathing life. We share it with everyone else who's breathing. It's our common humanity that we all require breathing, not only to live but for our whole inner life to be functioning well.

And while we might wish at the end of the sitting for all beings to be well, happy, and free[^2], we could also wish them to have an easeful breath. For their breathing to be easeful and comfortable. Relaxed, open breathing. Because this way of breathing is deeply connected to being happy, safe, and free.

May all beings have an easeful breath. May all beings breathe with reassurance and safety. May all beings feel delight with their breathing as they breathe. And may it be that we live together with other people so that we are not the cause and condition for their breathing to be tense, shallow, or tight. May we be a condition and a cause to support others to breathe at ease, happily and peacefully.

Perhaps we can coexist with an easeful breath, and the best in all of us has a chance to come forth. May all beings breathe peacefully.

---

[^1]: **"I see you":** In Zulu and several other Nguni languages of Southern Africa, the traditional greeting is _Sawubona_, which literally translates to "I see you." It signifies acknowledgment, respect, and recognizing the worth and dignity of the other person.

[^2]: **"May all beings be well, happy, and free":** A traditional phrase of _Mettā_ (loving-kindness) meditation, an ancient Buddhist practice of cultivating goodwill towards all beings.