user16668: I've been practicing concentration for a while, trying to reach access concentrataion. In the beginning of my practice my mind was very noisy (as I guess anyone else), after a while I began to calm down and thoughts began to slow down enough for me to see the way to concentration. I experienced how tracking the breath and taking in all the texture really changes the state of my consciousness and feels like plunging to a deep water. It seems that this is a window to a wide world I really want to explore. 
In recent sittings I've been finding myself calming down very much to the point of not focusing on anything at all. No thoughts, no breath. I guess there's still thoughts and activity but my mind is not in tune to any of them in particular. While this can fell quite good, I think its retarding my practice.
I notice that its now hard to track the breath in the same way, its like the mind is being lazy and wants to slip into the comfort of being dull. There's no texture to the breath and it now feels more distant.
What can I do to overcome this state of torpor and inject some clarity into the practice? 

user16632: Keep up the good work, sadhu! Think of meditation like a rocket ship on its way to the moon. At first, you will need great concentration to achieve lift off, and the ride will be rough. Then, upon reaching the stillness of outer space, the booster rockets are discarded, and the 2nd stage rockets are then used, gliding smoothly through the void. Finally, approaching the moon, various thrusters are used to slightly adjust trajectory and moderate the descent. 
Your breath can be thought of like the booster rockets. It is helpful, but eventually you will need a new object of concentration if it gets too subtle to observe. The secondary stage rockets can be varied - the 'knowing' aspect of the breath (observe what it's like to be aware of the breath or lack thereof), the perception of stillness itself, the wondering if what to do next can be an object, whatever wandering thoughts enter, your current mood or joyous state. Observe through the lense of Impermanence, Dukkha, and Not-Self. Find whatever is actually there to observe. Is there anything that you are doing or holding onto? If so, let them go, relax them. It is a process of subtraction. Find things to observe and let go of, until nothing remains.
Alternatively, you can fabricate an object for concentration. Go to the center of whatever is there. If you are in a still space, go to it's center, and the center of that center, ad infinitum. If there is a sense of joy or peace, go to the center of that. If there is a bright light, go to the brightest point at the center, and so on. Then, relax into this centering, let go of the idea, and allow the momentum to pull you in.
Most of all, relax and enjoy the ride. In the end, it is truly simple.

user8157: Take your finger off the trigger. Take your foot off the accelerator. 
Just sit but with a quiet still silent mind.
Don't attempt to watch the breathing. 
The Buddha did not teach to watch breathing. 
The Buddha taught to abandon craving. 
Every impulse to watch breathing is craving. When this impulse arises, abandon it, realise it, drop it, let it go. 
When you stop trying or craving to watch breath and have a silent mind, Anapanasati (which means 'mindfulness with breathing' rather than 'mindfulness of breathing') can naturally take its natural course. 'Mindfulness' means 'to remember to keep the mind' free from craving. 
When the mind stops trying to watch breathing, the mind will be free from the thought of 'trying'. Not trying actually makes the silent mind more clear, more sensitive. 
Do we need to make an effort to hear a sound, to smell a smell or to see an object? if not, why does an effort need to be made to know/feel the breathing, when the mind is naturally silent? 

user471: From Ajahn Brahm's essay on the five hindrances:

Sloth and torpor refers to that heaviness of body and dullness of mind which drag one down into disabling inertia and thick depression.
  The Lord Buddha compared it to being imprisoned in a cramped, dark
  cell, unable to move freely in the bright sunshine outside. In
  meditation, it causes weak and intermittent mindfulness which can even
  lead to falling asleep in meditation without even realising it!
Sloth and torpor is overcome by rousing energy. Energy is always
  available but few know how to turn on the switch, as it were. Setting
  a goal, a reasonable goal, is a wise and effective way to generate
  energy, as is deliberately developing interest in the task at hand. A
  young child has a natural interest, and consequent energy, because its
  world is so new. Thus, if one can learn to look at one's life, or
  one's meditation, with a 'beginner's mind' one can see ever new angles
  and fresh possibilities which keep one distant from sloth and torpor,
  alive and energetic. Similarly, one can develop delight in whatever
  one is doing by training one's perception to see the beautiful in the
  ordinary, thereby generating the interest which avoids the half-death
  that is sloth and torpor.
The mind has two main functions, 'doing' and 'knowing'. The way of
  meditation is to calm the 'doing' to complete tranquillity while
  maintaining the 'knowing'. Sloth and torpor occur when one carelessly
  calms both the 'doing' and the 'knowing', unable to distinguish
  between them.
Sloth and torpor is a common problem which can creep up and smother
  one slowly. A skilful meditator keeps a sharp look-out for the first
  signs of sloth and torpor and is thus able to spot its approach and
  take evasive action before it's too late. Like coming to a fork in a
  road, one can take that mental path leading away from sloth and
  torpor. Sloth and torpor is an unpleasant state of body and mind, too
  stiff to leap into the bliss of Jhana and too blinded to spot any
  insights. In short, it is a complete waste of precious time.


16668: <p>I've been practicing concentration for a while, trying to reach access concentrataion. In the beginning of my practice my mind was very noisy (as I guess anyone else), after a while I began to calm down and thoughts began to slow down enough for me to see the way to concentration. I experienced how tracking the breath and taking in all the texture really changes the state of my consciousness and feels like plunging to a deep water. It seems that this is a window to a wide world I really want to explore. </p>

<p>In recent sittings I've been finding myself calming down very much to the point of not focusing on anything at all. No thoughts, no breath. I guess there's still thoughts and activity but my mind is not in tune to any of them in particular. While this can fell quite good, I think its retarding my practice.
I notice that its now hard to track the breath in the same way, its like the mind is being lazy and wants to slip into the comfort of being dull. There's no texture to the breath and it now feels more distant.</p>

<p>What can I do to overcome this state of torpor and inject some clarity into the practice? </p>
 16632: <p>Keep up the good work, sadhu! Think of meditation like a rocket ship on its way to the moon. At first, you will need great concentration to achieve lift off, and the ride will be rough. Then, upon reaching the stillness of outer space, the booster rockets are discarded, and the 2nd stage rockets are then used, gliding smoothly through the void. Finally, approaching the moon, various thrusters are used to slightly adjust trajectory and moderate the descent. </p>

<p>Your breath can be thought of like the booster rockets. It is helpful, but eventually you will need a new object of concentration if it gets too subtle to observe. The secondary stage rockets can be varied - the 'knowing' aspect of the breath (observe what it's like to be aware of the breath or lack thereof), the perception of stillness itself, the wondering if what to do next can be an object, whatever wandering thoughts enter, your current mood or joyous state. Observe through the lense of Impermanence, Dukkha, and Not-Self. Find whatever is actually there to observe. Is there anything that you are doing or holding onto? If so, let them go, relax them. It is a process of subtraction. Find things to observe and let go of, until nothing remains.</p>

<p>Alternatively, you can fabricate an object for concentration. Go to the center of whatever is there. If you are in a still space, go to it's center, and the center of that center, ad infinitum. If there is a sense of joy or peace, go to the center of that. If there is a bright light, go to the brightest point at the center, and so on. Then, relax into this centering, let go of the idea, and allow the momentum to pull you in.</p>

<p>Most of all, relax and enjoy the ride. In the end, it is truly simple.</p>
 8157: <p>Take your finger off the trigger. Take your foot off the accelerator. </p>

<p>Just sit but with a quiet still silent mind.</p>

<p>Don't attempt to watch the breathing. </p>

<p>The Buddha did not teach to watch breathing. </p>

<p>The Buddha taught to abandon craving. </p>

<p>Every impulse to watch breathing is craving. When this impulse arises, abandon it, realise it, drop it, let it go. </p>

<p>When you stop trying or craving to watch breath and have a silent mind, <a href="https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Bhikkhu_Buddhadasa_Anapanasati_Mindfulness_with_Breathing.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anapanasati</a> (which means '<em>mindfulness <strong>with</strong> breathing</em>' rather than '<em>mindfulness <strong>of</strong> breathing</em>') can naturally take its natural course. '<em>Mindfulness</em>' means '<em>to remember to keep the mind</em>' free from craving. </p>

<p>When the mind stops trying to watch breathing, the mind will be free from the thought of 'trying'. Not trying actually makes the silent mind more clear, more sensitive. </p>

<p>Do we need to make an effort to hear a sound, to smell a smell or to see an object? if not, why does an effort need to be made to know/feel the breathing, when the mind is naturally silent? </p>
 471: <p>From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Brahm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ajahn Brahm</a>'s essay on <a href="https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed051.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the five hindrances</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Sloth and torpor refers to that heaviness of body and dullness of mind which drag one down into disabling inertia and thick depression.
  The Lord Buddha compared it to being imprisoned in a cramped, dark
  cell, unable to move freely in the bright sunshine outside. In
  meditation, it causes weak and intermittent mindfulness which can even
  lead to falling asleep in meditation without even realising it!</p>
  
  <p>Sloth and torpor is overcome by rousing energy. Energy is always
  available but few know how to turn on the switch, as it were. Setting
  a goal, a reasonable goal, is a wise and effective way to generate
  energy, as is deliberately developing interest in the task at hand. A
  young child has a natural interest, and consequent energy, because its
  world is so new. Thus, if one can learn to look at one's life, or
  one's meditation, with a 'beginner's mind' one can see ever new angles
  and fresh possibilities which keep one distant from sloth and torpor,
  alive and energetic. Similarly, one can develop delight in whatever
  one is doing by training one's perception to see the beautiful in the
  ordinary, thereby generating the interest which avoids the half-death
  that is sloth and torpor.</p>
  
  <p>The mind has two main functions, 'doing' and 'knowing'. The way of
  meditation is to calm the 'doing' to complete tranquillity while
  maintaining the 'knowing'. Sloth and torpor occur when one carelessly
  calms both the 'doing' and the 'knowing', unable to distinguish
  between them.</p>
  
  <p>Sloth and torpor is a common problem which can creep up and smother
  one slowly. A skilful meditator keeps a sharp look-out for the first
  signs of sloth and torpor and is thus able to spot its approach and
  take evasive action before it's too late. Like coming to a fork in a
  road, one can take that mental path leading away from sloth and
  torpor. Sloth and torpor is an unpleasant state of body and mind, too
  stiff to leap into the bliss of Jhana and too blinded to spot any
  insights. In short, it is a complete waste of precious time.</p>
</blockquote>
