Anapanasati (Pali: Ānāpānasati) 

Anapanasati (Pali: Ānāpānasati) means “mindfulness of breathing,” a foundational Buddhist meditation practice where one focuses attention on the natural inhalation (āna) and exhalation (apāna) of breath to develop concentration, calm the mind, and gain insight, leading to spiritual liberation, detailed in the Buddha’s Ānāpānasati Sutta. It involves paying close attention to bodily sensations, feelings, and mental states associated with breathing, progressing through stages like calming the body, experiencing joy, and ultimately seeing impermanence and cessation.

Key aspects:

Etymology:

Ānāpāna (in-breath/out-breath) + sati (mindfulness).

Core Practice:

Focusing on the breath as the primary object of meditation.

Purpose:

Cultivates Samadhi (concentration) and Vipassanā (insight), leading to peace and understanding.

Stages (Four Tetrads):

Awareness of long/short, full/part of the breath.
Calming physical formations (body).
Experiencing joy, bliss, and centering the mind (feelings/mind).
Observing impermanence, dispassion, cessation, and relinquishment (Dhammas).

Significance:

Considered a direct path to Nibbāna (Nirvana) by many teachers, it’s a core practice for developing mindfulness in various Buddhist traditions like Theravada and Zen.