What is Mindful Breathing?
 In - Out
Deep - Slow Calm - Ease Smile - Release Present Moment - Wonderful Moment Mantra sourced from The Wake Up Together Handbook written by Young Buddhists and Non-Buddhists
For A Healthy & Compassionate Society |
To breathe mindfully is to be aware of our in-breath and our out-breath, simple as that. Breathing mindfully is an irreplaceable tool that is available for us to use to influence our energy, alleviate our anxieties, soothe our stresses, and understand our innermost emotions. Whenever we need to return to our calmness, centering ourselves with mindful breathing can soothe any stress and pacify our anger. If we feel lost, alienated, or numb, we practice mindful breathing.
The moment we feel worry, despair, rage, fatigue, or depression is the moment we deepen our habit of mindful breathing. Over time, we'll find those difficult emotions will lose their power as our practice establishes solidity and liberates us from our ailments. When we breathe mindfully, we're breathing with awareness. When we’re aware of our breath, we're cultivating the energy of mindfulness. If we're struggling with fatigue, pain, distress, or disagreeing with another person, we can practice awareness of breathing to soothe our unease. Mindful breathing helps to keep us calm during times when we may otherwise feel uncomfortable.
We can find deep enjoyment in our breathing practice. We gain energy, insight, and awareness with each conscious breath. Breathing in, I am aware I am breathing in. Breathing out, I am aware I am breathing out. Breath is our life force, every time we inhale we can fill ourselves with the power of being alive. Our out-breath is cleansing. Every exhale is a chance to let go of worry, stress, dullness, and tension. Inhale new energy. Exhale old, unwanted energy. Inhale appreciation for this moment. Exhale freedom from suffering. |
Breathing Better
We breathe instinctually about fifteen times per minute (22,000 breaths per day), but we typically don’t observe or think about how we breathe. Mindful breathing is a skill we use to stay focused on the present moment. By being mindful, or aware, of our breath, we can find relief from stressful situations, slow down busymindedness, empower ourselves, and refresh our system so that we may feel at ease. It’s easy to assume we’re breathing in lots and lots of oxygen with each breath, but the air around us is actually only about 21% oxygen. On top of that, due to mindlessness, stress, and body tension, most people usually only use a fraction of their full lung capacity. When our body doesn’t get enough oxygen, it can knock our biological system off balance, making us feel confused, anxious, and even fearful. When we're stressed, we tend to tense up and breathe in tight, shallow breaths, ultimately creating a vicious cycle that can trap us in our distress. This is why it’s especially important to train ourselves to take conscious, slow breaths when we’re feeling good, because later we can recall our breathing skills in times where we need to relax and focus.
Mindfulness Exercise: Mindful Breathing
To start, find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed. Silence all distractions. When first learning, setting a timer can help us develop a sense of time with this practice. Some people may experience an enhanced state of connection, relaxation, or stimulation while breathing mindfully, so timing your experience will benefit you if it will a) reduce thoughts of how long you've been breathing for, or b) help you practice for longer if you find yourself impatient with the exercise, or c) help you to respect your other responsibilities so you don't meditate for too long and become stressed about your other daily tasks.
You may also choose not to time your breathing exercise at all and simply enjoy it.
Place one hand on your stomach, and slowly inhale. You may inhale through your nose or through your mouth, and exhale with whatever is more comfortable for you. Many people enjoy breathing in through their nose and out through their mouth, some inhale and exhale both through their nose. It’s completely up to you. Focus on the feeling of air flowing in on the inhale, filling the lungs, then consciously follow the breath out on the exhale, slowly releasing the breath.
Breathing in, I am consciously breathing in. Breathing out, I am consciously breathing out.
Feel your belly gently rise and fall as you take slow, steady breaths. To deepen the breath, imagine the air from each breath is blowing your belly up like a balloon, filling and deflating as you breathe. Keeping your hand on your stomach, focus on the feeling of your belly expanding and contracting for a few breaths. Feel the air flowing in on the inhale and follow the breath out on the exhale.
Breathing in, I feel I am breathing in. Breathing out, I feel I am breathing out.
Now, bring your focus to how your body feels while you breathe. As you inhale, feel your entire self expanding. As you exhale, feel your whole body relax and soften. Inhaling, calmly expanding. Exhaling, calmly relaxing. Notice how your body fills with fresh energy on the inhale, and feel your body release dull energy on the exhale. Notice the quality of your breath. Is your breathing slow, smooth, and deep? Is your breathing tight, shaky, and shallow? There is no right answer - we observe nonjudgmentally. If our breathing is tense, that's a valuable insight. We can dedicate more time to relaxing our system, calming the mind, and soothing our emotions so our breath can flow with ease. We are grateful for every breath, strong or weak, big or small. Continue to observe the breath and see how the qualities change over time.
Breathing in, I notice my breath. Breathing out, I am grateful.
Continue to consciously breathe. If any thoughts, worries, or ideas enter your awareness, simply guide your attention back to the sensation of the inhale and the conscious relaxation of the exhale. Our mind is busy with planning, thinking, and stressing all day long, so we concentrate on keeping our mind focused on peaceful breathing in this moment. We are grateful to have this time to do nothing but enjoy breathing. We are grateful to have this time to balance our stress and busymindedness with the wonderful stillness and ease of mindfully breathing in and out. If thoughts keep coming into your mind, keep returning your attention to consciously enjoying the full inhale and the full exhale. No matter how many thoughts about the past or future enter the mind, you continue to return your attention to breathing in and breathing out, here in the present moment. If your mind is very busy, use your senses to ground yourself in this moment, here where you're enjoying mindful breathing. Inhaling, feel how you're connected to the Earth, feeling the weight of your body on whatever you're resting on. Exhaling, allow yourself to relax more and more, releasing stress with each breath. Inhaling, note the subtle smells of the space you're in. Exhaling, listen to the sounds around you. Inhaling, feel the air gently blowing against the small hairs on your body. Exhaling, notice the wonderful feeling of stillness developing inside you.
Breathing in, awareness. Breathing out, stillness.
Breathing in, calm. Breathing out, ease.
There is nothing you need to do in this moment other than enjoying the inhale and enjoying the exhale. We do not latch on to thoughts about the past or future, because we are focused on consciously breathing, observing what's happening in the present moment.
Nothing else to do. Just breathing.
Allow your thoughts to come and go, gently redirecting your focus to your breath. Inhaling and exhaling, in the present moment.
Breathing in, present moment. Breathing out, wonderful moment.
Congratulations, right now you’re doing a mindful breathing meditation!
Inhale and exhale consciously for as long as comfortable. Continue this focus for as long as you wish.
If you feel lightheaded, return your breathing to a normal pace or simply stop the exercise.
You may also choose not to time your breathing exercise at all and simply enjoy it.
Place one hand on your stomach, and slowly inhale. You may inhale through your nose or through your mouth, and exhale with whatever is more comfortable for you. Many people enjoy breathing in through their nose and out through their mouth, some inhale and exhale both through their nose. It’s completely up to you. Focus on the feeling of air flowing in on the inhale, filling the lungs, then consciously follow the breath out on the exhale, slowly releasing the breath.
Breathing in, I am consciously breathing in. Breathing out, I am consciously breathing out.
Feel your belly gently rise and fall as you take slow, steady breaths. To deepen the breath, imagine the air from each breath is blowing your belly up like a balloon, filling and deflating as you breathe. Keeping your hand on your stomach, focus on the feeling of your belly expanding and contracting for a few breaths. Feel the air flowing in on the inhale and follow the breath out on the exhale.
Breathing in, I feel I am breathing in. Breathing out, I feel I am breathing out.
Now, bring your focus to how your body feels while you breathe. As you inhale, feel your entire self expanding. As you exhale, feel your whole body relax and soften. Inhaling, calmly expanding. Exhaling, calmly relaxing. Notice how your body fills with fresh energy on the inhale, and feel your body release dull energy on the exhale. Notice the quality of your breath. Is your breathing slow, smooth, and deep? Is your breathing tight, shaky, and shallow? There is no right answer - we observe nonjudgmentally. If our breathing is tense, that's a valuable insight. We can dedicate more time to relaxing our system, calming the mind, and soothing our emotions so our breath can flow with ease. We are grateful for every breath, strong or weak, big or small. Continue to observe the breath and see how the qualities change over time.
Breathing in, I notice my breath. Breathing out, I am grateful.
Continue to consciously breathe. If any thoughts, worries, or ideas enter your awareness, simply guide your attention back to the sensation of the inhale and the conscious relaxation of the exhale. Our mind is busy with planning, thinking, and stressing all day long, so we concentrate on keeping our mind focused on peaceful breathing in this moment. We are grateful to have this time to do nothing but enjoy breathing. We are grateful to have this time to balance our stress and busymindedness with the wonderful stillness and ease of mindfully breathing in and out. If thoughts keep coming into your mind, keep returning your attention to consciously enjoying the full inhale and the full exhale. No matter how many thoughts about the past or future enter the mind, you continue to return your attention to breathing in and breathing out, here in the present moment. If your mind is very busy, use your senses to ground yourself in this moment, here where you're enjoying mindful breathing. Inhaling, feel how you're connected to the Earth, feeling the weight of your body on whatever you're resting on. Exhaling, allow yourself to relax more and more, releasing stress with each breath. Inhaling, note the subtle smells of the space you're in. Exhaling, listen to the sounds around you. Inhaling, feel the air gently blowing against the small hairs on your body. Exhaling, notice the wonderful feeling of stillness developing inside you.
Breathing in, awareness. Breathing out, stillness.
Breathing in, calm. Breathing out, ease.
There is nothing you need to do in this moment other than enjoying the inhale and enjoying the exhale. We do not latch on to thoughts about the past or future, because we are focused on consciously breathing, observing what's happening in the present moment.
Nothing else to do. Just breathing.
Allow your thoughts to come and go, gently redirecting your focus to your breath. Inhaling and exhaling, in the present moment.
Breathing in, present moment. Breathing out, wonderful moment.
Congratulations, right now you’re doing a mindful breathing meditation!
Inhale and exhale consciously for as long as comfortable. Continue this focus for as long as you wish.
If you feel lightheaded, return your breathing to a normal pace or simply stop the exercise.
Mindful Breathing Video Demonstration
COMING SOON!
Coming Back to Mindful Breathing
In any moment we can pause, take in a conscious breath, and return our complete attention to our in-breath and our out-breath. When we stop to take that mindful breath, we connect our body with our mind, and we come home to ourselves. We feel our physical body more fully. We feel our individual energy more fully. We are truly alive when we have this unity between mind and body.
Fortunately, one mindful breath is all we have to do to generate oneness of body and mind. It’s very simple.
We inhale to acknowledge our busy-mind, our tension, our suffering. We exhale healing, nourishing thoughts to the pain and stress in our body.
We inhale to acknowledge our busy-mind, our tension, our suffering. We exhale healing, nourishing thoughts to the pain and stress in our body.
When we successfully soothe our internal suffering, we have new energy to give to better things. We have energy for clarity, for action, and for pursuing happiness. We have the strength to help others and our beautiful world. However, if we are preoccupied with the fear and despair within, we of course will have no energy or attention to place on anything other than on our own feelings. We can feel motivated to heal our internal discomfort so we can reduce the suffering in others, positively shifting our global wellbeing. When we take care of our feelings, we not only suffer much less, but we offer more happiness to the world around us.
Mindful Breathing to Increase Power
Mindful breathing is a great way to focus our energy and invite peace into any moment. All we have to do is bring our full awareness to our in-breath and our out-breath. When we concentrate like this, we slow down, minimize energy drain from stress, and restore clarity of mind.
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Acknowledge your breath:
Breathing in, I am aware that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I am aware that I am breathing out. Breathing in, I want to recharge. Breathing out, I want to relax. Breathing in, I am breathing slow. Breathing out, I am breathing deep. |
Set your intentions for your breath:
Breathing in, calm. Breathing out ease. Breathing in, fresh. Breathing out, clear. Breathing in, strength. Breathing out, power. |
Mindful breathing allows us to cultivate strength, resilience, and grace to empower us to overcome our challenges. Mindful breathing is our anchor in difficult emotional moments, allowing us to connect deeply to the present moment and reconnect with our most skillful self. With mindful breathing, we don’t need to bury, distract, or run from unpleasant emotions; instead, supported by the attentiveness and compassion of mindful breathing, we can be grateful for the insight our emotions bring to enlighten our life with authenticity, open-heartedness, and understanding.
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Deepen Your Understanding: Our heart rate actually fluctuates within each breath cycle. Every time we inhale, our sympathetic nervous system increases our heart rate, and when we exhale, our parasympathetic nervous system slows our heart rate. Extending our inhale will increase our energy, and extending our exhale with relax our system. Learn more about breathing patterns for energy management here:
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