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Building on the practice developed in the Satipatthāna Meditation program, Mindfulness of Breathing offers eight weeks of focused study and practice of the 16 steps of the Ānāpānasati-sutta, guided by the teachings of renowned scholar and monastic, Bhikkhu Anālayo.
We are delighted to offer New Participant and Returning Participant Cohorts for the Mindfulness of Breathing program. If this will be your first time taking the BCBS Mindfulness of Breathing program, please select the New Participant Application. If you have completed the BCBS Mindfulness of Breathing program in the past, please select the Returning Participant Application.
September 26 - November 20, 2027
May 3 - July 2, 2027
8 weeks
10-12 hours per week
Choose the $500–$700 rate that works for your budget. Learn more about program fees, teacher dāna, and financial assistance.
Intensive
1) Having an established mindfulness practice
2) Having either earned a certificate of completion from our immersive online program, Satipatthāna Meditation, or participated in the Satipatthāna Meditation program online/residentially with Bhikkhu Anālayo at BCBS or another center.
• Video lectures
• Audio guided meditations
• Reading assignments
• Sutta study
• Discussion forums
• Review questions
• Weekly 90 minute live small group meetings, including:
• Break-out practice and sutta study discussions
• Moderated weekly written discussion forums
Program Information:
Mindfulness of Breathing is an eight-week, in-depth study of the sixteen steps of the Ānāpānasati-sutta, combining tranquility and insight in the form of practice that aims to cultivate the awakening factors. This program thereby builds on the practice, particularly of the awakening factors, developed in the Satipatthāna Meditation program.
Each week, participants will engage with recorded guided meditations and video lectures by Bhikkhu Anālayo, complete reading assignments from Mindfulness of Breathing: A Practice Guide, attend a 90-minute weekly group meeting, and contribute to a written online forum.
Certification Track:
Mindfulness of Breathing is the second in a three-part series based on the teachings of Bhikkhu Anālayo, following Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation and leading to Brahmavihāras & Emptiness. Together, the programs offer a comprehensive path of study and practice oriented toward liberation, which participants can follow at a pace that supports their practice.
This program offers an optional certification track that fulfills the prerequisite for Brahmavihāras & Emptiness. Certification requires completion of a final reflection and a review of participation.
Timeline:
Applications Open
May 3, 2027
Application Deadline
July 2, 2027
Notification of Acceptance or Waitlist
July 6, 2027
Registration Period
July 6–30, 2027
Orientation Week
September 19, 2027
Program Dates
September 26–November 20, 2027
Small Group Meeting times will be announced soon.
| Pre-Course | Welcome Module, Orientation, and Access to Week 1 (Preliminaries) |
| Week 1 | Preliminaries |
| Week 2 | Contemplation of the Body (1st tetrad) |
| Week 3 | Contemplation of Feeling Tones (2nd tetrad) |
| Week 4 | Contemplation of the Mind - Part 1 (3rd tetrad) |
| Week 5 | Contemplation of the Mind - Part 2 (3rd tetrad) |
| Week 6 | Contemplation of Dharmas (4th tetrad) |
| Week 7 | Arousing, Cultivating, and Balancing the Awakening Factors |
| Week 8 | Inclining towards Awakening and Conclusion |
This program requires considerable commitment from participants and is not a self-study program. We require attendance at weekly virtual meetings as well as completion of writing prompts and program assessments. The required time commitment is roughly 10-12* hours per week.
Weekly individual participation includes:
90 minutes of a small group video meeting**
watching/listening to a 20-minute video lecture by Bhikkhu Anālayo
daily personal Satipatthāna Meditation practice (Bhikkhu Anālayo’s recorded guided meditations will be provided)
completing study activities
contributing to the group discussion forum
reading one chapter per week in the core text, Mindfulness of Breathing: A Practice Guide by Bhikkhu Anālayo.
* Participants are strongly encouraged to read Mindfulness of Breathing: A Practice Guide in advance of the program (later referring back to the book as a reference/refresher for each weekly topic). Otherwise, participants should anticipate an additional 2-3 hours per week for reading during the program.
** The small group meeting is the only program component that happens at a fixed time, and meetings will occur on the same day/time each week.
Small Group Meeting times will be announced soon. Applicants will select their available times on the application. Attendance is mandatory.
In early Buddhist thought, tranquility and insight are complementary dimensions of meditative cultivation, traditionally based on a solid foundation in moral conduct and part of a gradual process of training. This online program will follow the Buddha’s principle of ethics as the foundation for Mindfulness of Breathing practice. Participation in this program is supported by group commitment to respect and non-harming, applying to both communication with others and also to one’s personal relationship with the practice.
Applications Open
May 3, 2027
Application Deadline
July 2, 2027
Notification of Acceptance or Waitlist
July 6, 2027
Registration Period
July 6–30, 2027
Orientation Week
September 19, 2027
Program Dates
September 26–November 20, 2027
Small Group Meeting times will be announced soon.
BCBS offers pricing options to make our programs financially accessible. Please choose the highest rate that works within your budget:
Benefactor: Covers the full cost of the program and includes a tax-deductible contribution to support others.
Actual Cost: Covers the full cost of the program.
Supported: Our most subsidized rate.
All rates provide the same program experience, and subsidized rates require no application or explanation. These lower rates are made possible by the generosity of our community.
Information about Teacher Dāna and additional financial assistance is available in the tabs below.
Program fees do not include compensation for the teachers. In keeping with the tradition of freely offering the Buddhadharma, the teachers are offering this course in a spirit of generosity. Participants have an opportunity to join in this practice of generosity by offering dāna in support of the teacher. Many BCBS teachers have chosen to rely entirely on dāna for their livelihood, both as a practice and as an expression of the Buddhist tradition.
We are committed to making this program accessible to all. Financial assistance is available to offset the program fee if needed. When invited to register, you can select financial assistance of 30%, 40%, or 50% off the Supported tier ($500). If you require financial assistance greater than 50%, please email us, and we will try to accommodate your request.
We are committed to providing a spiritual home and resources for all on the path to awakening. We also aim to offer a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive learning and practice environment for everyone, whatever their age, race, ethnicity, sex (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, body type, disability, religion, or political viewpoint. We recognize this is ongoing work and invite you to reach out to us at contact@buddhistinquiry.org if you have suggestions about how we can more fully embody our aspirations.
We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away. If you cancel before the program starts, you are eligible for a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. Registration fees are nonrefundable after the program starts.
This online program offers an optional certification track, which qualifies participants for Bhikkhu Anālayo’s online Brahmavihāras & Emptiness program. The optional certification track requires the completion of a final reflection and a review of participation.
Bhikkhu Anālayo is a scholar-monk and the author of numerous books on meditation and early Buddhism, such as Satipatthāna: The Direct Path to Realization, Perspectives on Satipatthāna, and Satipatthāna Meditation: A Practice Guide. He is a Faculty Member at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, having retired from being a professor at the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hamburg. Bhikkhu Anālayo’s main area of academic research is early Buddhism, with a special interest in the topics of meditation and women in Buddhism. At the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, he regularly participates in online programs and undertakes research into meditation-related themes.
Bhikkhu Anālayo’s teachings for this program are offered through video lectures, guided meditations, and readings. There will be no direct interaction with Bhikkhu Anālayo.
