Taming your mind is the essence of the Buddha’s path. Taming means learning to focus the mind and becoming free from distraction. This is a gradual process that requires practice to develop.

Shamatha is one of the two main forms of meditation (shamatha and vipassana). The word itself means the development of peace, serenity, or tranquility of awareness. The shamatha technique aims to develop a stable, spacious, and flexible quality of mind, by utilizing the breath as a tool for taming the mind. The breath is a natural and accessible resource for everyone. In shamatha, we use the breath as a single point of focus and an anchor for our practice. There are different stages of progress in shamatha meditation, often divided into nine levels, each with its own set of obstacles and antidotes, which reflect how the mind progresses from an uncontrolled state to a calm state. This is depicted in the traditional Tibetan painting of the elephant, monkey, and monk. Shamatha is considered a prerequisite to other forms of meditation.

Meditation instructions for shamatha: 1) Sit upright. 2) Choose a point of focus. 3) When your mind wanders, bring it back to the point of focus. 4) Do not chase after thoughts; also don’t repress them, just let them pass.

Shamatha meditation helps train the mind, like a muscle, so that we can experience joy, tranquility, and equanimity. Our natural breathing can be a valuable tool in our practice, and it is the object of attention in shamatha meditation. This single point of focus technique is the foundation for more advanced practices.

Reflect on the experience of engaging again and again in shamatha practice.

• How does the experience of shamatha practice shift and change over time?
• What do you notice when you practice shamatha meditation?
• What is it like to recognize when one is distracted and return to the object of focus?

Explore shamatha meditation as a way to calm the mind and support both insight (vipassana) practice and everyday mental habits; evaluate personal experience with meditation; and demonstrate the practice by leading shamatha sessions that guide breath-based concentration while recognizing common challenges, obstacles, and their antidotes.