(1) Find a time and place where you can have fifteen minutes of relatively 
uninterrupted peace and quiet. 

(2) Get yourself into a comfortable position – best if it's one in which your 
shoulders can be over your hips, and your spine upright – whether on a chair, a 
cushion on the floor, or in the lotus position, but sustainable for those 
fifteen minutes. If for any reason you are unable to use those, any position you 
can sustain while remaining awake is good. 

(3) Lightly close your eyes if you're not sleepy; if you're sleepy, softly 
focus your half-opened eyes a few feet in front of you.

(4) Once you settle into your spot, notice your breath going in and out. Find 
a point in your body where you can feel the effect of breathing – the expansion 
and relaxation of your chest or belly, or air rushing in and out of your nose.

(5) Once you have the point for your focus, breathe in – just naturally, not 
forcing your breath in any way; pay attention to the in-breath; when your body 
is ready to breathe out, notice the out-breath. 

(6) After the end of the out-breath, before the in-breath, silently count “1”

(7) Repeat steps 5 and 6 – following the breath in and then out and upping 
your count, “2” after the second breath, “3” after the third, all the way up to 
“10”. 

(8) After “10” start over with “1”. 

(9) Do this for fifteen minutes. 

(10) When you discover that you're no longer paying attention to your breath 
– as you are very likely to discover – simply notice what you were thinking 
about and return to the breath and counting. 

(11) Don't judge your thoughts, or yourself for having them. Simply return to 
the breath and counting.