Relax and Breathe

Relaxing and breathing are excellent ways to begin practicing meditation. Both are important techniques in almost all types of meditation. And you breathe all day long, so fitting in moments of mindful breathing isn’t difficult to do.

When to Use this Technique

This meditation focuses on the physical sensations of breathing. The technique doesn’t take effort. You can practice in many everyday situations, such as when you’re waiting in a grocery line or waiting for a bus or a dinner companion.

I sometimes feel that I’m wasting time when I’m forced to wait for something. But by doing this meditation, I can put the time to good use. So next time you find yourself waiting for something, don’t take out your phone to surf social media. Instead, use the time to practice mindful breathing.

Why it Works

As you switch your attention from thinking to breathing, you’ll find yourself becoming more centered because you’ll be quieting your thoughts. It works no matter how you’re feeling, but if you’re troubled, you’ll find yourself becoming calmer because you’ll be quieting the part of your brain responsible for the “fight or flight” response.

The Technique

The easiest way to make a daily habit of meditation is to keep your sessions shorter rather than longer, especially when you first start learning to meditate. For this reason, I suggest you start your first week by spending only one to three minutes in your daily practice.

Preparation

It will be easier to meditate by choosing a quiet place with few distractions. After trying this meditation once or twice in a quiet place, you may find that you can meditate in more crowded or noisy places.

The Meditation

• You can sit, stand up, or lie down when doing this meditation.
• If the situation allows (perhaps you’re sitting and waiting for a dinner companion), close your eyes. Take a moment to let your body relax. Rest your hands open on your lap or at your side.
• Take one or two deep breaths to help settle in.
• Breathe as you would normally. You can breathe using your mouth or nose. As you gain practice with this meditation, you might find it interesting to try both ways and to notice the difference.

Notice the Sensations of Your Breathing

• As you breathe, bring your attention to the sensation of breathing. In other words, instead of having your attention on your thoughts about breathing, focus on the sensations of your breathing.
• Where in your body do you feel the air as you breathe in and out?
• What does it feel like as the air travels over your tongue and down your throat?
• Can you feel the air as it travels down to your lungs and back up out your nose?
• Do you feel a sensation of warmth or coolness?
• Do you notice your lungs rising and falling? What about your belly?
• Are you breathing shallowly or deeply? What does it feel like if you try breathing the other way?
• Your mind may use words to describe the sensations of your breathing. That is a common response. If that happens, just bring your attention back to feeling the sensations of breathing. There is no need to pay attention to the words.

Next Steps

After you practice this meditation a few times, you may want to lengthen the time you spend in meditation. Or if you find that short sessions are right for you, try adding a second session later in the day.

The next time you find yourself waiting for someone or something, relax and breathe. It will pass the time and release tension before it has a chance to build up.

What We Learned Today

Relaxing and breathing are basic techniques in many types of meditation. You can practice relaxing and breathing, and notice the sensations of your breathing, in many everyday situations.

Try this for a week and see how it works for you.

FOLLOW UP
Question that Often Comes Up

I forgot to practice for a couple of days. How can I remember to practice?

Forgetting to practice is a common problem. It may help to plan a specific time of day to practice, such as when you first wake up. Or you might decide to meditate when you do a certain activity, for example, when you’re waiting for a bus or doing the dishes. It may also help to have a special place to practice. When you pass this place, you’ll remember to meditate.

To your health,

Connie