Mindfulness of Breath

Why we care about Mindfulness

Remember that Mindfulness allows us to become more fully present, more fully open, and therefore, more fully alive.

Mindfulness allows us to understand our mood, the state of body, our feelings, we notice our thoughts, and our stories, we become more present.

What happens when we try to be mindful of the present moment

We find a comfortable position, we close our eyes and try to be mindful. And what happens? 

Try it for a moment!

Think about what happened. Maybe, you were able to be still and you really noticed what was going on for you. Fantastic.

Or maybe what happened, something that happens to all of us some of the time, is that your mind started to throw out all kinds of thoughts. That’s normal. Even people who meditate a lot, often find that their mind wanders.

Using the breath, or another sensation, to help us be mindful

The breath can be a way to help steady the mind. The breath can allow us to pay attention to what is going on in us and around us, without the ticker tape distraction of the mind. And the breath is always with us, so it can be very easy to use.

The sensation ground us in the present moment. So feeling is grounded in the now. Other feelings are also grounded in the now, seeing, hearing, etc. We are so rarely in the present moment. It is a refuge. It arrests a lot of our suffering. Right NOW, you can check in with ourself. Are you feeling confused, adverse, clinging to something, right NOW. How about right NOW?

Embodiment is important. The awareness into the body. The lung represents the pattern of the universe. Everything is contraction and expansion. Everything living does this (hands contracting and expanding). The symbol of this, yin-yang, Moon-sun, is the most ancient representation of God. SO much of the universe is binary. There is so much wisdom in the breath. It is something we can’t hold forever. It builds the muscle of letting go, not holding on. We are letting go, letting go, letting go. Breath gives this pattern of give and take. This dance, like a two step. It is really a profound embodiment of the practice. The expansion, contraction. Engagement and resting of awareness. Focus and out of focus.

We recognize that for some of you, paying attention to your breath may be difficult, Anxiety producing, even painful. If that speaks to you, don’t pay attention to your breath. There are many options.

Useful anchors are:

• We can raise and lower our hand.

• We can rock the body, back and forth, or in a circle

• Sounds as they are experienced within or around you.

• Listening to and feeling one’s entire sensory experience (i.e., receiving sounds and sensations in awareness).

Although this will page will still focus on the breath, but just know that if the breath doesn’t work for you, please choose another option.

Thich That Hang, in his book “You are Alive”,  recommends finding the place in the body where you can most easily feel the breath. And then pay attention to that feeling, letting the body breathe itself, rather than trying to control the breath.

Just see where you can feel it best.

• The breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.

• The rise and fall of the chest or the expansion and release in the belly. You can also put your hand on your belly and feel the breath in the palm of your hand.

• The experience of the whole body as your breathe.

Now, try to pay attention to the breath. Try it for 30 seconds and see what happens. See where you notice your breath.

Adding Support

Notice what that was like for you. If that felt right to you, wonderful. If you are still feeling like your mind is racing, try adding a couple of things. For example:

• Whisper a word to your self, like “Calm” as you breathe.

• You can try counting your breath. You can count your breath from 1 - 10.

• Or you can count backwards from 20 down.

• Or whatever counting helps you stay with your breath

Again, if you choose something other than breath, you can use the same words to help with attention. Saying a calming word, or counting as you move you hand up and down. You can simply say, Up, and Down.

Try that again.

When the Mind Wanders

And with all of that, you may still notice that your mind wanders off, to whatever is going on for you. Maybe you’re thinking about your taxes, or where your kid are going to school next year, or whether you are going to see a friend on Monday.

That is OK. Try not to judge yourself for your thoughts. Know they are going to happen. Try to celebrate the moment you can come back to your breath.

It is expected. If didn’t happen right now, know that it will happen. The mind will wander. You will totally forget about the breath.

The trick is not to never let that happen. The trick is to eventually notice that you have forgot to follow you breath. “Oh yah, my breath, I am supposed to be paying attention to my breath.

THAT is truly the moment of mindfulness. When you actually notice all the thoughts that take over your mind, and you are able to move your attention back to the breath, you are being mindful.

The direction has to be calm and kind. That that is exactly what you need to do for yourself. Gently lead yourself back to your breath, each time you notice that you have left it.