Anapana spot:

To help locate the place where we experience the tactile sensation most distinctly, we
inhale deeply and force the air out through our nose once or twice. Wherever we feel
the tactile sensation most clearly and precisely is the place to focus our attention.
In between each in-breath and each out-breath, and in between each out-breath and
each in-breath, there is a short interval of time when the tactile sensation will be
absent. During these periods we are to keep our attention focused on the place
where the tactile sensation is normally felt, waiting for the return of the breath.
M. Flickestein

JHANAS

Essence of entering each of the 8 Jhanas:

0. Follow breath until access concentration is established:

a. Thoughts are wispy and in the background,

b. and/or White light glows in the background,
c. and/or Breath becomes very shallow or disappears.

1. Switch attention away from the breath to a pleasant physical sensation:

a. Stay focused on the 'pleasantness' of the pleasant sensation,
b. Do not do anything else but stay focused on the 'pleasantness', it will
increase in intensity automatically.
c. When the physical pleasure and emotional joy/happiness rises,
focus on that experience.

2. Focus on the emotional joy/happiness that is accompanying the intense

physical sensations of the 1st Jhana:
a. Push the the intense physical sensations into the background - taking
a deep breath now will be helpful in doing this,
b. Stay one pointedly focused on the joy/happiness.

3. Turn down the intensity of the joy/happiness to

contentment/satisfaction.

4. Let go of the pleasure of the contentment/satisfaction and drop down to

a quiet, still equanimity.

5. Sense the "boundaries of your being" and begin expanding them

outwards:
a. Expand outwards until you fill the room,
b. Expand outwards until you fill the building,
c. Expand outwards until you fill the neighborhood,
d. Expand outwards further and further, remain focused on expanding
outwards,
e. When a boundless space opens up before you, switch your focus to
 it.

6. Realizing that it takes a boundless consciousness to be aware of a

boundless space, switch your attention to to your consciousness of the
boundless space.

7. Switch your attention from the boundless consciousness to the content

of that consciousness - it will be a sense of no thing - no-thing at all
anywhere.

8. Let go of all the previous outward sensing and come to rest in a small
spot more or less between the eyes and a few inches from your face.
Focus on being in a state that has no characteristics.

Leigh Brasington

The following is a brief summary of instructions for meditators practicing breath

meditation:

Attend to the sensation of breath/air wherever it enters and exits the body.
If visual perceptions arise, ignore them.
If the mind wanders do not allow it. Return to only the point of contact of breath.
Hold attention on the spot throughout the entire duration of in-breath and out-
breaths.
The sensation or perception of sensation of moving air will change to a static
feeling, this is the sign of the mind stilling.
Dwell on this airy, buoyant quality, which should pervade the head. One should
experience a cool and airy emptiness of the head. This may extend
throughout the body. This is a further "sign" of increasing stillness.
Remain with this airy lightness as an experience to focus upon.
All hindrances should have fallen away and the five jhana factors will be present to
a degree that may be weak, medium or strong.
Refer to the Anapanasati Sutta for further instructions.

Ajahn Sona

Following and Counting the Breath

First focus awareness on following the in-breath as it passes three points

beginning at the nose, descending through the heart and finishing at the
navel; and secondly following the out-breath in reverse orderstarting at
the navel, ascending through the heart and ending at the tip of the nose.
Once mindful of the in- and outbreathing and proficient at focusing
awareness on these three points, then continue by clearly knowing the in-
and out-breaths just at the tip of the nose. Maintain awareness of the
sensation of breathing by focusing only on this one point. If you find the
mind is becoming distractedwandering off to the future, the past,
thinking of different thingsthen reestablish awareness and let go of
those thoughts. If the distraction continues, then we have to increase our
efforts. One good technique for helping to increase concentration is
counting the breath in pairs. If counting in pairs we count one as we
breathe in and one as we breathe out. With the next in-breath count,
two, and with the out-breath, two. Then, inthree, outthree; in
four, outfour; infive, outfive. Firstly, we count in pairs up to
five. After the fifth pair we start again at one and increase the count of the
in- and out-breaths one pair at a time. We count in-out, one; in-out, two;
in-out, threeup to six. After counting each pair of in- and out-breaths
we start again at one and increase the pairs incrementally up to ten. Using
this method we will be aware of whether our mindfulness is with the
countingtotaling the numbers correctlyor lost and distracted. When
competent at counting the breaths, we will see that the breathing is
perceived with increased clarity. The rate of counting can now increase in
speed as follows: with the in-breath we count, onetwothreefourfive, and
then with the out-breath, onetwothreefourfive. When proficient at
counting up to five like this, we can increase the number to six. Breathing
in, count, onetwothreefourfivesix, then breathing out, count,
onetwothreefourfivesix. We can experiment to see whether this is
enough to hold our attention or not. Alternatively, we can remain simply
counting up to five, whichever feels more comfortable. We should count in
this way until we become skilled and proficient. Eventually, we will
become aware that the mind has let go of the counting all by itself and
feels comfortable simply knowing the inand out-breathing at the tip of the
nose. This can be described as a mind brought to peace through the
method of counting.
Ajahn Anan Akinkano

5 Aggregati khandhas
Materiality - form (rupa)
Feeling (vedana) nama
Perception (saa) nama
Mental formations (sankhara) nama
Consciousness (viana) nama

5 clinging-aggregates
past, future, or present
internal or external
gross or subtle
inferior or superior
far or near

Thanissaro Bhikkhu
With breath meditation, sit straight, hands in your lap, right
hand on top of your left hand, your legs crossed, right leg on
top of the left leg, your eyes closed. That's getting your body
into position. Getting your mind into position means focusing it
in on the present moment. Think about the breath and then
notice how the breath feels as it comes in, how it feels as it
goes out. Be aware of the breathing. That means you have two
qualities at work: the thinking or mindfulness, which reminds
you where to stay; and the alertness, which tells you what's
happening with the breath. Those are two of the qualities you
want.

The third quality is what the Buddha called atappa, or ardency,

which means you really put an effort into it. You really focus on
what you're doing. You're not just playing around. You give it
your whole attention. You try to be ardently mindful and
ardently alert.

Ardently mindful means that you try to keep your mindfulness

as continuous as possible, without any gaps. If you find that
your mind has slipped off the breath, you bring it right back.
You don't let it dawdle here or sniff at the flowers there. You've
got work to do and you want to get it done as quickly, as
thoroughly, as possible. You have to maintain that kind of
attitude. As the Buddha said, it's like realizing that your head is
on fire. You put it out as fast as possible. The issues we're
dealing with are serious issues, urgent issues: aging, illness,
and death. They're like fires burning away inside us. So you
have to maintain that sense of ardency because you never
know when these fires are going to flare up. You want to be as
prepared as possible, as quickly as possible. So when the mind
wanders off, be ardent in bringing it back.

Ardently alert means that when the mind is staying with the
breath, you try to be as sensitive as possible in adjusting it to
make it feel good, and in monitoring the results of your efforts.
Try long breathing to see how it feels. Try short breathing,
heavy breathing, light breathing, deep, shallow. The more
refined you can make your awareness, the better the
meditation goes because you can make the breath more and
more refined, a more and more comfortable place for the mind
to stay. Then you can let that sense of comfort spread
throughout the body. Think of the breath not simply as the air
coming in and out the lungs, but as the flow of energy
throughout the whole body. The more refined your awareness,
the more sensitive you can be to that flow. The more sensitive
you are, the more refined the breath becomes, the more
gratifying, the more absorbing it becomes as a place to stay.

Istruzioni per entrare nei jhana di L. Brasington

http://www.leighb.com/jhana3.htm