Find a comfortable position
Sit on a chair with your feet resting on the floor, or choose another comfortable position. Your eyes can be gently closed or open, resting on a spot in front of you.
Set aside about five minutes. Choose a moment you can remember, such as before lunch or after getting home. You can adjust the duration; there is no need to start with a long session.
A five-minute practice outline
The timings are approximate. You do not need to watch a clock. Read one step, leave some quiet time, then continue.
First minute: settle in
Notice where your body meets the chair and the floor. Listen to the sounds in the room. You do not need to change these sensations.
Minutes two to four: notice your natural breath
Choose a place where breathing is easy to feel, such as air at your nose or movement in your abdomen. Let your breath keep its own rhythm, without deliberately deepening it or holding it.
When your mind wanders: return once more
When you notice a thought, you can gently acknowledge “thinking.” Then return to that one sensation of breathing. Noticing that you wandered is part of the practice.
Last minute: return to your surroundings
Feel your feet, the chair and the sounds around you again. Move your fingers gently and lift your gaze. You can end the practice here.
You can listen instead of watching your breath
If focusing on breathing feels uncomfortable, notice your feet touching the floor or sounds in the room instead. You can keep your eyes open.
When listening, simply notice a sound appearing, changing and fading. There is no need to judge your concentration or look for a particular feeling.
Where can you start in Oat?
Open Voice Meditation and choose a short Guided Meditation or Breath Awareness session. Follow a voice to begin with, then explore Semi-Guided Meditation when you prefer fewer prompts.
For environmental sound without spoken meditation, open Sound Meditation and choose Little Forest, Light Rain or Waves. Oat offers guided audio in Chinese, English, Japanese, Thai and Arabic, with male and female voice versions. Check the app for available content and membership benefits.
Next time, set aside the same small moment
Afterwards, you might ask: what did I notice? Quietness, the number of thoughts and a change in mood do not need to become a score.
You can start with five minutes again next time. If anything feels uncomfortable, pause, look around and adjust your position. Choose whether to continue at your own pace.