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Calm your body and mind instantly with this simple breathing meditation!

The average person takes between 17,280 – 23,040 breaths per day at 12-16 breaths per minute. Most of these breaths are made unconsciously. We typically breathe without any awareness of our breath. In a mindful breathing practice, we have full attention on the breath.

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When we are fully aware of each breath, we are living in the present moment. Breathing consciously we reduce the chatter in our minds. This makes us feel more at peace, as we become centered and grounded. When we are in the present moment we are not reliving the past or planning for/worrying about the future.

“Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”  ~Thich Nhat Hahn

The Zen Buddhist master, Thich Nhat Hahn shares the mindful breathing meditation practice as one of the first he learned as a young monk. He states in his book:

“The first practice I learned as a novice monk was to breathe in and out consciously, to touch each breath with my mindfulness, identifying the in-breath as in-breath and the out-breath as out-breath. When you practice this way, your mind and body come into alignment, your wandering thoughts come to a stop, and you are at your best.”  (Living Buddha, Living Christ, pg. 15)

The practice is very simple but very powerful.  I have summarized below in my own words how to do this meditation.

Mindful Breathing Meditation

  1. If you are new to the practice it can be beneficial to find a quiet space with minimal distractions.
  2. Come into a comfortable position for the practice. This can be seated in a chair, sitting on the floor on a cushion/zafu, lying down or any position that allows you to feel relaxed.
  3. Soften the gaze or close the eyes.
  4. Without changing the breath, bring your awareness to your breathing.
  5. On the in-breath, know that this is your in-breath, bring your awareness to this.
  6. On the out-breath, know that you are breathing out consciously.
  7. You can pair the inhale with a word or phrase to use as a mantra, to say to yourself, silently as you inhale. For example, you could say “breathing in”, or “in” as you inhale, keeping awareness there for the entire length of the inhale breath.
  8. Similarly, on the exhale breath, pair the breath with a word or phrase such as “breathing out” or simply “out.” Keep the awareness on the breath for the length of the exhale breath.
  9. Practice in this way for several minutes, staying in the present moment, focused on the breath.

Thich Nhat Hahn states, “Conscious breathing is the most basic Buddhist practice for touching peace.” (Living Buddha, Living Christ, pg 16)

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

In his book No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, Thich Nhat Hahn shares sixteen breathing practices that are taken from the Anapanasati Sutra on mindful breathing. These are shared in the “Practices for Happiness” section of the book mentioned.

“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.” ~Thich Nhat Hahn

We can experience joy and aliveness while simply breathing with mindfulness. I urge you to try this simple breathing meditation and include this practice throughout your day to bring peace to your life.

Here is a YouTube video in which Thich Nhat Hahn speaks about the practice of mindful breathing, entitled Thich Nhat Hahn – Simple Mindfulness.

I am a huge fan of Thich Nhat Hahn! I own a few of his books and enjoy listening to his talks that can be found on YouTube.

Are you inspired by Thich Nhat Hahn’s teachings? Who are some other people that inspire you?

Do you like to meditate sitting on a zafu, or want to try it? Here’s an awesome zafu from Buddha Groove:  Be Here, Be Now Meditation Cushion in Coral.

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Meditation Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash