Mindfulness of Breath: Be Here and Now

"The process of breathing, if fully understood and experienced in its profound significance, could teach us more than the philosophies of the world." Meditation Mindfulness of breath is central to mindfulness in life, just as the breath is central to life itself. The breath can be employed in many ways. Become aware of breath and make it our friend. The most basic, yet possibly the most profound, mindfulness technique for meditation is paying attention to the experience of breathing.

Across the various meditation traditions, this may well be the most widely practiced of all meditation techniques. Mindfulness of breath is practiced by continually focusing our attention on the breath and simply bringing our attention back to the breath each time it wanders. There is no need to change, deepen or improve the breathing pattern; simply pay attention to breathing as it is. This is a mindfulness practice not a breathing exercise. The aim is to be aware of the feeling of the breath rather than controlling it in some way or trying to achieve a particular outcome with the breath. We start by noticing any aspect of the breath. For example, we may notice the air as it moves through the nostrils and over the area above the upper lip or we may be aware of the feeling of the breath in the chest and abdomen. Perhaps, if we listen closely, we can even hear the subtle sound of our breathing. Attention can be directed to the sensations of warmth or coolness, or movement as the air touches the nostril, or we could direct the attention towards the movement of the chest and tummy. Or our attention can be inclusive of both areas. the present moment. Mindfulness of breath can be a stand-alone practice or it can be integrated into the complete practice of meditation.

For beginners on the path of meditations, mindfulness of breath is a wonderful introduction to the profound benefits of mindfulness. Here is an exercise with which you can practice and develop mindfulness of breath as the point of focus for meditation. When beginning, practice for five to fifteen minutes to establish familiarity and ease with techniques.