Here’s a simple, Jain-dharmic guide to meditation and breathing practices, keeping to traditional Jain concepts.

What Jain meditation typically includes

• Kayotsarga (body-surrender): a calm, natural posture (usually seated or standing) with the mind letting go of bodily sensations. The aim is detachment from the body and calm awareness of the soul.
• Anupreksha and bhavna (contemplations): guided reflections on fundamental Jain truths to sharpen right-view and detachment. Common themes include impermanence of the world, the law of karma, and the goal of liberation.
• Samayik (daily, structured meditation): a fixed period of concentrated reflection, traditionally about 48 minutes, focusing on right conduct, right faith, and right knowledge. It helps cultivate equanimity, self-control, and awareness of karmic effects.
• Nama-samadhi or bhavna on Tirthankaras: contemplative meditation focusing on the revered Tirthankaras or on virtuous qualities (like non-violence, truth, celibacy, renunciation) to purify the mind.
• Pratikraman (confession and atonement): while not a breathing exercise, it is a key meditative practice for self-purification—reviewing actions, confessing faults, and resolving to improve.

Breathing and pranayama in Jain practice

• Jain meditation emphasizes natural, steady breathing rather than controlled or forceful pranayama. The breath is used as a support to calm the mind and aid concentration, but there is no canonical Jain requirement to perform specific pranayama techniques.
• The core aim is ekaggata (one-pointed concentration) and detachment, not mastery of breathing patterns. If breathing is used, it should be gentle, natural, and unobtrusive.

Practical, beginner-friendly steps 1) Choose a quiet place and sit comfortably (cross-legged on a cushion or on a chair) with a straight spine. 2) Start with a few minutes of natural, relaxed breathing to settle the mind. 3) Move into Kayotsarga: let go of tension in the body, release effort in the shoulders and face, and observe the breath without trying to control it. 4) Do a simple Anupreksha: reflect on impermanence (everything changes), or on the pure self beyond body-mind, or on non-violence and truth. 5) If you’re practicing Samayik, follow the traditional framework for your tradition (Digambar or Shwetambar) and keep the session focused on right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. 6) Conclude with a short moment of gratitude and a vow to continue mindful conduct.

Difference between Digambar and Shwetambar (very basic)

• Both traditions use Kayotsarga, Anupreksha/bhavna, and Samayik, but the exact contemplation topics, procedures, and recommended hours may vary slightly in rites and text references. The underlying aim—increasing self-control, ethical conduct, and spiritual upliftment—remains the same.

If you’d like, I can outline a simple, tradition-specific 10–15 minute routine (one for Digambar and one for Shwetambar practice) or point you to authoritative Jain texts that describe Kayotsarga, Samayik, and Pratikraman in more detail.