Breath Awareness

Why start by watching

Most breathing techniques change the breath. Breath awareness simply notices it. That sounds easy, but the moment you pay attention, the breath tends to change on its own. Learning to observe without controlling is a skill in itself, and it is the ground that every other pranayama and most forms of meditation are built on.

What to notice

• Where you feel the breath most clearly: the nostrils, the chest or the belly
• The temperature of the air: often cooler on the inhale, warmer on the exhale
• The length of each inhale and exhale, without trying to make them equal
• The small pauses at the top and bottom of each breath

When the mind wanders

It will, often within a few breaths. That is not failure; noticing that you have drifted and coming back is the practice. Some people find it helpful to label the distraction silently (“thinking”, “planning”) before returning. Counting breaths from one to ten and starting again whenever you lose count gives the mind a simple task.

Breath awareness in yoga and Buddhism

In yoga it is the first step of pranayama, practised before techniques that lengthen or hold the breath. In Buddhism, anapanasati, mindfulness of breathing, is one of the oldest meditation practices, and it is the foundation of modern programmes such as mindfulness-based stress reduction. Research on these programmes shows consistent, moderate benefits for stress, anxiety and low mood.