In this first episode of a series of short meditational guides, Ven. Dr. Barry Kerzin takes us through focusing on the breath, otherwise known as shamatha, a single-pointed kind of meditation that makes our minds less distracted and more clear, peaceful, and bright.

Ven. Dr. Barry Kerzin is a Buddhist monk, teacher, and medical doctor. He is the Founder and President of Altruism in Medicine Institute, the Chairman of Human Values Institute, Japan, Honorary Professor at The University of Hong Kong, and former Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.

He has completed many short and long meditation retreats over the last 28 years, including a 3-year retreat. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Princeton University, he was a subject for research on long-term meditators. This research has been published in the leading neuroscience journals in the world.