Should I Count?
You can count breaths from one to ten and restart. Counting is a support, not the goal. If counting becomes mechanical, return to the physical sensation of breathing.
Mindfulness of Breathing
The breath is useful because it is always present and naturally changing. The practice is not to create a special breathing pattern, but to know breathing as it happens.
Beginner Practice
Place attention where the breath is easiest to feel. Notice one inhalation from beginning to end, then one exhalation. When attention drifts, return to the next breath.
Do I Control the Breath?
Usually no. Let it be long or short, deep or shallow. If you notice that you are manipulating it, simply allow it to settle naturally again.
When the Mind Is Very Busy
Use a slightly more obvious anchor: feel the whole body breathing, count each exhalation, or shorten the session. A busy meditation is still meditation if you keep recognizing distraction and returning.
What Returning to the Breath Looks Like
You feel one breath, then find yourself planning dinner. As soon as you notice, feel the next exhalation. You do not need to finish the thought or start the entire meditation again.
If you use counting, count once at the end of each exhalation. After ten, begin again at one. If you lose your place, return to one without treating it as a mistake.
Try the same anchor for a few sessions. Familiarity is more useful than constantly searching for a new technique.
Sources and Further Reading
These published teachings provide further context. The short exercises on this site are introductory suggestions, not quotations from the source texts.