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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
- If you are new to the practice it can be beneficial to find a quiet space with minimal distractions.
- 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.
- Soften the gaze or close the eyes.
- Without changing the breath, bring your awareness to your breathing.
- On the in-breath, know that this is your in-breath, bring your awareness to this.
- On the out-breath, know that you are breathing out consciously.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:Â Be Here, Be Now Meditation Cushion in Coral.
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Meditation Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash
Kimmy
December 4, 2020 8:15 amSuch a great read!
Julie
December 7, 2020 11:05 amThank you!
Bri
December 2, 2020 10:06 pmBeautiful! I need some of this in my life right now!
Julie
December 3, 2020 12:32 pmSimple, but very effective! 🙂
Monica
December 2, 2020 7:13 pmSuch a great informative post. It’s amazing what mindful breathing can do for us.
Julie
December 3, 2020 12:34 pmIt is truly amazing – the benefits of some simple, mindful breathing!
Nishtha
December 2, 2020 4:55 pmGreat post! Yes I try to do deep breaths exercises sometimes and def need to be consistent. It’s amazing they fall under both yoga and mediation. Loved what you wrote- We can experience joy and aliveness while simply breathing with mindfulness!
Julie
December 2, 2020 5:38 pmThank you Nishtha! The practices of “yoga” incorporate pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation as well!
Lisa
October 19, 2020 12:21 pmIt’s amazing what a few deep breaths can do when we are consciously focusing on them! I love taking time each day to focus on breathing and participate in guided meditations.
Julie
October 19, 2020 2:47 pmI do too Lisa! I love Insight Timer for guided meditations. Simple breathing practices can do wonders for us! 🙂 Thank you for reading and commenting!
Bettie Toonstra
August 10, 2019 1:31 amI focus on my breathing every single day, just for a few minutes. Especially when I feel stressed, I noticed how often I take a lot of breaths per minute. When I change my breathing pattern, I immediately feel a lot better.
Bettie
Julie
August 15, 2019 3:25 pmHi Bettie!
It’s so true that we can immediately change the way we feel by simply focusing on the breath! Getting out of our head and coming into the present moment. Fabulous that you are incorporating this into your everyday life!
Namaste,
Julie
Cindy
June 22, 2019 11:29 amBeautiful post! I practice meditation and mindfulness. And I’m a huge Thich Nhat Hahn fan. I love his Gathas. I’ve made up my own, especially for working in the garden.
Julie
June 22, 2019 12:56 pmHi Cindy,
Yay, a fellow meditator and mindfulness practitioner! I am also a big fan of Thich Nhat Hahn! I love listening to his dharma talks. Thanks for reading 🙂
Rebecca | rebeccaspianokeys.com
June 21, 2019 6:10 pmI think I will have to try this! Such a simple exercise, that can be done anywhere! I definitely could benefit from taking some time each day to just be present in the moment rather than running around in my head!
Julie
June 21, 2019 7:50 pmHi Rebecca,
So easy and beneficial!! Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Split the night
April 28, 2019 4:12 pmIt’s amazing how such a basic act can make such a big difference. It’s especially helpful to me when I go to sleep, focus on my breathing and emptying my mind.
Julie
April 29, 2019 10:27 amIt is amazing. I try to incorporate mindful breathing throughout the day! Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂
Giselle
March 1, 2019 6:30 amThis mindful breathing meditation technique has forever changed my life. I found out about it a few years ago while recovering from severe anxiety. It’s amazing how simple it is to do and how it creates such a positive impact on our lives. Awesome post! 🙂
Julie
March 2, 2019 3:23 pmThank you Giselle! I use this breath often and talk about it in my yoga classes frequently. So simple, yet so powerful. 😀
Jo
February 23, 2019 4:31 pmThe power of both mindful and deep breathing are quite astonishing aren’t they? I find they instantly calm me.
Julie
February 23, 2019 5:12 pmHi Jo,
It seems such a simple thing, to breathe with conscious awareness. The more we can do this and live in the present moment the calmer we become. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Waderlust Arts
February 7, 2019 5:12 pmVery nice post! I usually try to control my breathing while I work out, just not to stress my body too much! I will try these tips in the office next time there is a big crisis!
Julie
February 7, 2019 8:52 pmHi Teresa,
Great idea, mindful breathing can bring you back to a calmer, more centered state in times of turmoil! Thank you for visiting 🙂
Gina
February 7, 2019 10:34 amI’ve started doing this after my workouts, while I’m sitting in the sauna. I use the time to pray and reflect as I’m focusing on controlling my breathing. I’ve found I relax best during this time! Great post!
Julie
February 7, 2019 1:27 pmThat’s great Gina! Excellent to include it in your routine. You will notice that you begin to think of breathing mindfully at other times too. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Nicola
February 5, 2019 7:29 amI like meditating but I’m not very good at it so I find that focusing on my breath is a great way to bring me back to the present moment.
Nicola
http://nicshealthylife.co.uk
Julie
February 5, 2019 11:35 amJust focusing on your breath in this mindful breathing practice IS meditating. The mind WILL wander. The work is to just continue to bring the mind back to following the breath. And to not judge yourself harshly! 🙂
Bexa
February 4, 2019 8:47 amThis is a really helpful post, thanks for sharing Julie! I went to a Meditation class the other day and even though I did find it hard to focus at first, I did find it really calming afterwards, so I’m going to try and make it a regular thing. This post has really encouraged me and I’m going to check out the Thich Nhat Hahn video too <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Julie
February 4, 2019 8:37 pmHi Bexa! Meditation is so helpful to reduce the chatter in the mind and help us to live in the present moment. I hope you enjoy the TNH video. He is such an amazing person. I feel calm just listening to him speak 🙂 Thank you for visiting!