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STUDENT GI I29devotedly. Your concentration will become stronger and you willfeel better mentally and physically.* * *STUDENT : I would like to ask you once more about breathing. Youhave explained to me how I should count my breaths, but you haven'tyet explained how I should follow them. Would you do so, please?Rosm: After you give up counting your breaths the next step isfollowing them. Here you simply follow each inhalation with yourmind's eye without allowing your attention to become diverted.When you exhale, do the same. That is all there is to it.STUDENT: What about the stomach? Should it go in and out? Ihave heard that the stomach instead of moving up and down shouldmove in and out.Rosm: Of course there are various breathing techniques. Whatyou are describing is, I think, the way to breathe in certain types ofyoga. It may he satisfactory, but it is not the kind of breathing advocatedhere. You should always keep your mind in the region belowthe umbilicus. Your mind is at the spot where you put your attention.If you concentrate on your finger your mind is at your fmger;if on your leg, at that place. With your mind concentrated below thenavel your vital energy gradually becomes stabilized in that region.Feel here [pointing to his lower abdomen].[Student places his hand where the roshi has indicated.]When I put pressure there it was hard, wasn't it?STUDENT : It certainly was !ROSHI: With your mind concentrated in that area over a long time,your energy easily and naturally settles there, because the center ofgravity no longer is in the vici.tllty of the head and shoulders, andyou can exert pressure in that region at will. Since we are anchoreddown as it were, we don't get angry and fly off the handle; ourthoughts and emotions are under natural control.STUDENT: I have another question. Is it so that in the Soto sectyour walking is in harmony with your breathing?Rosm: Yes. With one complete :"'·falation and exhalation youmove the left fo ot approximately -- ! the length ?f the right, andwith the next breath you move th 1ght i'O':>t half the length of theleft. The Rinzai way is to walk very fast.