How To: Mindfulness of Breathing

Once settled into your meditation posture, allow your breath to find its natural rhythm. Just observe it and remember this meditation is about just noticing and being observant. Don’t try to force your breath to be something that it’s not. Don’t try to make it longer and more relaxed, deeper or more rhythmical, just allow it to be as it is and notice it. There is no right and no wrong, just what is. You may notice that over the course of a meditation your breath can naturally shorten or lengthen, or become shallower or deeper. Sometimes it can almost disappear completely, or sometimes it can be rushed and abrupt as you dig into your subconscious. This is completely normal, just notice it.

Follow your breath. This is the exercise. Watch it in, watch it out. Watch it in, watch it out. Your breath and its sensations are in the present moment, your thinking is not. Try to keep a soft focus, with effort but not force, and follow the breath. When you are following your breath you are being mindful, and this integrates body, mind and environment.

When you notice your mind has wandered–which it will–softly and kindly bring your attention back to your breath. Your mind wandering is expected. Our minds are naturally cluttered and when we give them some space, they try to use that time to sort our lives out, to actively de-clutter (how oxymoronic!). But this is not the time for that, so when you notice that your mind has wandered, gently, softly and non-judgmentally, bring your attention back to your breath.

The “gently, softly and non-judgmentally” part of this is very important. There is no right or wrong, so why berate ourselves for our mind wandering again? Having your mind wander actually allows you to have a moment of awareness when you catch it, and this is exactly what we are practicing, moments of awareness. Allow yourself compassion and don’t be frustrated with your wandering mind, this is only the start of your journey!

Do this for 20 minutes.

When we’re just starting out with this meditation it can be hard, and thoughts can get in the way faster than we can complete a single breath. Therefore, it can be helpful to break the meditation up into three or four sections, each of five minutes (you can set these intervals on your meditation timer).

In the first section, focus your attention on the in-breath. Just notice your breath as it comes in, as it inflates your lungs and lifts your body. Let this in-breath be your focus for the first five minutes.
In the second section, move your focus to the out-breath. Like with the first section, just allow yourself to experience your out-breath with no expectations and no control. Feel the air exiting your body and feel your body ‘deflating’ and any sensations that go along with that. If you’re just doing 15 minutes you can do either in-breath or out-breath for the first five minute section.
In the third section we join our in and out-breath and try to watch the whole breath. We have settled a bit now so this may be easier, but don’t worry if it’s not, it’ll come. Breath in, breath out, that’s all. See how many breaths you can do before your mind wanders. More than three is pretty good when you’re starting out.
In the last section move your focus to the area where we feel our breath meeting our body. For some people this may be a sensation of hot or cool air across the upper lip as you breathe in or out. For others this may be awareness of the diaphragm expanding and contracting, it may be the sensation of air entering your lungs, or it may be your whole body, sitting there, meditating. Whatever it is, just notice how your breath interacts with your body.

You don’t have to do these sections, these are just to help you break up the practice when starting out. You may also do this over 15 minutes with three sections, choosing either the in- or out-breath for section one, then moving to the whole breath and body breath. Eventually, as you become proficient at this meditation you will drop these sections altogether and simply observe, however it presents itself, for 20 minutes.

Some tips that may assist (try them and see what works for you):

Place a counter at the beginning or end of each breath. Count your breaths up to ten and then back down again. When you lose track of where you are start from one again and see how far you can get (being honest with yourself!)
Place your attention on different areas of your body and the sensations you feel there. Eg, your upper lip, shoulders, nose, lungs, diaphragm or other parts of your body.
Sink into your out-breath intentionally and soften areas of your body, such as your face, neck and hands.
Name the persistent thoughts that keep coming back. Acknowledge them and see if they subside by accepting them and almost letting them move through you. If you push them away they often just come back stronger. Don’t get annoyed with yourself for thinking them.
Say in your mind “I breathe in” on your in-breath and “I breathe out” on your out-breath. This can help bring focus when the mind is particularly active.