Modus Ponens:
I practice anapanasati, feeling the air passing through the nostrils. The problem is that my breath slows to the point where I can't feel it in my nostrils. What I've done is to focus on just whatever feelings I sense in the interior of the nose. Is this the way to go or is there another solution?
Hello Modus,
Welcome to the DhO.
At the point when the breath slows down to a shallow, are you aware of any sensations occurring? Is there a pleasantness and calm that becomes inviting, in other words? If so, encouraging that pleasantness and calm will take you deeper into absorption.
People who use the breath as a meditation object should not become upset when the breath begins to disappear. Simply switch your attention to any pleasant sensation that arises and follow that lead. It will take you into a deepening of concentration. And from there, you will be able to practice insight.
There is no wrong or right in this. It all depends on how you adjust to what is happening in the moment. Don't look for something that isn't there. Always follow whatever arises. When you finally realize that increased concentration is the prize, you should also notice that wherever concentration is, mindfulness follows. Mindfulness and concentration go together like salt and pepper. They are the building blocks for insight realizations. Use them in this way and you will be fine.
Many people mistakenly have the idea that meditation alone will somehow "magically" transform them, when that is plainly not the case at all. Meditation is used to strengthen the mental ability of concentration which in turn will allow the mind to observe, undisturbed and undistracted, the reality of the Dhamma that Gotama pointed toward, namely that all phenomena (
dhammas) are
anicca,
dukkha, and
anatta.
Modus Ponens:
The other question is that I get a bit anxious of not having enough oxygen with such a slow breathing, so from time to time I breathe in a long breath. The way I turn this into a positive thing is to relax the entire body as I exhale. Is this advisable?
Don't worry about taking in a long breath from time to time. Relaxing the body as you exhale is perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with it.
It seems that you may be over thinking all of this. Just relax and allow the mind to become absorbed by whatever it wishes. When that begins to happen, you should notice an increase in your concentration ability. That's what you should be looking for. When that occurs, you are then able to apply the mind to insight objects and toward gaining direct knowledge of those objects as you reprogram your outlook on reality. The simple act of increasing concentration will help you to make the
realizations you seek.
In peace,
Ian