Core practice: mindful breathing
Mindful breathing sounds so simple that we tend to overlook it as something to specifically practice. But let's look at it as something that can:
Most people who practice mindful breathing quickly come to realise how central the breath is to being fully aware and present in one's body. It's a foundation from which you can become more self-aware and be in a better place from which you can respond rather than react to things. Once you've learnt this, you can return to it naturally whenever you need the reset. It's a very literal connection of what is actually happening right now, as opposed to the whirlwind that can happen when the mind comes up with various interpretations of things.
How to start
You can do this lying down or standing up. You can notice what difference the position of your body makes to the feeling of your breath. To being, just notice that you are breathing. There's no need to change anything. Just notice the breath and the body as it is. As you follow the breath in, follow it with your whole attention for the entire length of the in-breath -- as it comes in your nose, passes down your throat and into your lungs. As you breathe out, follow with all you attention the feeling of air leaving the lungs, passing through the throat and coming out through your mouth or nose. If you become distracted, simply return to where the breath is in its cycle.
Variation: hold a finger under your nose and see if you can feel the breath and become aware of the difference between the in-breath and the out-breath. Can you detect the differences in temperature, moisture quality, and so on.
Variation: use the breath to gather information about your state of mind. Gently note what the breath is doing and where your mind and body are right now, what that might tell you about your current preoccupations, and whether there is any shift after the practice.
Reflection questions
These are some things to consider when doing this or any practice. Use them sparingly. It's not a check-list, rather something to consider briefly.
Mindful breathing sounds so simple that we tend to overlook it as something to specifically practice. But let's look at it as something that can:
- Calm you
- Help you come back to your body when fight-or-flight kicks in
- Ease worry
- Bring a sense of simplicity
- Reduce overwhelm
- Improve focus
- Regroup when upset
Most people who practice mindful breathing quickly come to realise how central the breath is to being fully aware and present in one's body. It's a foundation from which you can become more self-aware and be in a better place from which you can respond rather than react to things. Once you've learnt this, you can return to it naturally whenever you need the reset. It's a very literal connection of what is actually happening right now, as opposed to the whirlwind that can happen when the mind comes up with various interpretations of things.
How to start
You can do this lying down or standing up. You can notice what difference the position of your body makes to the feeling of your breath. To being, just notice that you are breathing. There's no need to change anything. Just notice the breath and the body as it is. As you follow the breath in, follow it with your whole attention for the entire length of the in-breath -- as it comes in your nose, passes down your throat and into your lungs. As you breathe out, follow with all you attention the feeling of air leaving the lungs, passing through the throat and coming out through your mouth or nose. If you become distracted, simply return to where the breath is in its cycle.
Variation: hold a finger under your nose and see if you can feel the breath and become aware of the difference between the in-breath and the out-breath. Can you detect the differences in temperature, moisture quality, and so on.
Variation: use the breath to gather information about your state of mind. Gently note what the breath is doing and where your mind and body are right now, what that might tell you about your current preoccupations, and whether there is any shift after the practice.
Reflection questions
These are some things to consider when doing this or any practice. Use them sparingly. It's not a check-list, rather something to consider briefly.
- How do I feel right now?
- What is happening in my mind? (eg. calm, clear, relaxed, tense)
- What is happening in my body? (eg. calm, clear, relaxed, tense)
- How is my breath? (eg. slow, deep, shallow, fast)
- What happened for me during this practice? In my mind? Body? Did anything change?
- How easy was it for me to keep my mind on the breath?
- How did the practice feel? (eg. good, strange, enjoyable, challenging)