A phrase is a collection of words that can't stand on its own and doesn't have both a subject and a verb. For instance, prepositional phrases, which begin with prepositions such as under, over, to, for, with, and through, often act as adverbs in sentences.  For example, look at this sentence: "They ate the apples at the table." "At the table" describes where they ate the apples, making it an adverb phrase. Adverbs come in three basic degrees, positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive adverb is your basic adverb used to describe one thing or one group of things. A comparative adverb compares two things or groups, and the superlative establishes that one thing or group is better than several other sets of groups or things.  To clarify, many adverbs can be expressed in degrees, such as "fast," "faster," "fastest." You could say, "She runs fast," which is the positive case. "She runs faster than my sister," is the comparative because it's comparing two things. "She runs the fastest in her class," is superlative because you're establishing it's the best out of many things. Position is also important in adverbs. Adverbs that connect sentences to other sentences are found at the beginning of sentences, such as "however." Adverbs that modify certain parts of the sentence often go in the middle, such as "only," which can change the meaning of the sentence if moved. Adverbs that modify manner, place, or frequency can sometimes be found at the end of the sentence.  For instance, "afterwards" often comes at the beginning of the sentence because it connects it to the previous sentence: "We played games all afternoon. Afterwards, we ate ice cream." "Only" can move around in the sentence depending on what you want it to modify. For example, "They only ate pie in the afternoon," has a different meaning than, "They ate pie only in the afternoon." In the first sentence, they didn't eat anything else but pie in the afternoon. In the second sentence, they consumed pie just in the afternoon, rather than other times of day. Other adverbs end up at the end of the sentence: "He picked the bowtie that suited him best." "Best" is the adverb in this sentence, describing how it suited him. Sometimes, an adverb used with a verb is repetitive, and it makes your writing feel clunky. The verb often is enough to describe what is going on without adding extra words.  For example, take this sentence: "She exclaimed excitedly." "Exclaimed" already implies excitement. Adding "excitedly" is redundant.

Summary: Keep in mind that adverbs can also be phrases. Pay attention to the degrees of adverbs. Pay attention to position. Cut out redundant adverbs.


Like Vipassana meditation, Anapanasati is about quiet mindfulness. The first step, then, is to find a suitable location. The Buddha recommended three: the forest, the foot of a tree, or an isolated or empty spot.  Silence is essential to Anapanasati, especially for beginners. For you, a quiet room might be best. A secluded woods or beach might also work well. Silence will help you to develop concentration. If you cannot find complete silence, aim for somewhere that is quiet and private. People can meditate in several different postures, like standing, reclining, sitting, and walking. Sitting is the best for Anapanasati. Ideally, you should take a cross-legged position with both feet turned up and resting on your thighs, i.e. the lotus position.  Don’t worry if you can’t take the lotus position. It is also acceptable to sit half cross-legged, with one leg slightly bent. You should also sit erect. Your torso should be upright but not tense or rigid. Imagine that all the bones in your spine are linked together. As for your hands, they should lay gently on your lap. Like in Vipassana, the right hand is traditionally atop the left with the palms up. Your eyes can be closed, half-closed, or open – whichever is most comfortable – and your head should be tilted downward, your nose perpendicular to the navel. The focus of your mindfulness in Anapanasati will again be breathing. Turn your mind toward the rising and falling, the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. Follow the sensations involved and be aware of them.  Be especially mindful of the place when the breath enters and leaves your nostrils. This will be a spot just under your nose or above your upper lip. Center on the spot where the breath touches the skin. Be aware: when you breathe in, recognize that you’re breathing in. Likewise when you are breathing out. However, don’t try to control or hold back your breathing. As your awareness of breathing increases, it will become less willful. ” There are eight graduated steps in Anapanasati meditation, each one working up to nirvana. The basic and most rudimentary level is “counting.” Counting is intended for those with no background in the technique. People with experience in meditation may not need it and can begin with the second level.  Fix your attention on the tip of your nose, as said. Now, count the movements of your breath. For example, you might count the first inhalation as “one, one” and the first exhalation as “two, two.” Continue to the tenth breath (“ten, ten”) before returning to “one, one.” If you lose track, start again at “one, one.” The counting itself is not meditation. It instead helps to calm the wandering mind, by making you aware when you become distracted and lose the count. In Anapanasati there are eight total steps. To get further in the technique, you will slowly be able to move into higher levels. “Following” comes next. Once you have calmed your mind with counting, you should be able to mentally track or “follow” the course of your breath without keeping track.  Following just means to follow the breath with the mind. You do not deliberately breathe in or out, but only remain aware that it takes place. Try to see the beginning, the middle, and the end of each cycle of breaths. This practice is called "experiencing the whole body." “Contact” and “Fixing” come next. These both require stronger concentration and are harder to attain. People who reach this level may feel they have stopped breathing altogether, because they are so calm that it’s hard to feel the action of the breath. They must keep focused on the spot under the nostrils. Many report calm, joy, or even powerful visions. Very few people make it to the upper steps of the technique. “Observing,” “turning away,” “purification,” and “retrospection” will take you to higher paths of self-awareness. If you want to achieve these higher grades, you will most likely need to find a spiritual master to guide you. Consider attending a meditation retreat – monasteries and other centers around the world host such retreats, in many cases as a free service to the community.
Summary: Find a good, quiet place. Sit upright. Focus on your breath. Begin with “counting. Pursue further “steps” to develop your practice.