Problems in the Practice of Meditative Concentration

Question: I can now sit in full lotus for an hour and a half to two hours, using abdominal breathing—natural breathing without any mental guidance. However, my breath is so faint that I easily become drowsy, and it is very hard to still the breath and enter samādhi. When I contemplate the breath, I try to make the inhalation as slow and long as possible. May I hold my breath for as long as I can before exhaling? Is either abdominal breathing or chest breathing acceptable?

Answer: Both are fine. At the initial stage of practice, this benefits the body and makes it easier to enter samādhi. However, if you have been practicing for a long time and wish to enter samādhi and engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), deliberately holding the breath will prevent deep dhyāna, and you will be unable to contemplate and reflect. Only after your practice has become extremely proficient—when you no longer need to hold the breath—can you engage in contemplative practice.