Perhaps the most fundamental fact of our aliveness is that, from the moment of our birth to the moment of our death, we are breathing. And yet, strangely enough, we routinely take the breath for granted. The fact is, the breath is a vital ally in the practice of mindfulness. Because it is always available, and because its shifting nature reflects our moment to moment state of being, the breath is our portal to understanding, healing and well-being.

The breath tells us everything we need to know about our current state. When we tune in to the breath, we also tune in to our emotional state, to our state of mind, to our physical state, and to what thoughts or judgments may be present. When we tune in to the breath, we’re also in touch with the truth of change — the fact that nothing is static or fixed, that everything is in a state of motion. The breath comes in, rolls over, and goes out, over and over. It’s constantly moving, and so are we.

So by focusing on our breathing we’re actually getting in touch with the truth of how things are. Right here, right now. And when we are aligned with the truth of how things are, we begin to gain insight into cause and effect within our own experience. When we become intimate with the breath, we can see the places where we are stuck and the places where we are free.

For example, let's say that you've been spending your day with a sense of things not being quite right somehow. Your mood is a bit sour, but you don’t know why. Yet, driven by all the things you need to accomplish this day, you essentially ignore this underlying sense of unease. But if you take a few minutes to stop and notice your breath, you may notice that your chest is feeling tight, and that your breathing is strained. Simultaneously, you might also recognize that the tightness in your chest is a sign of anxiety, even panic. And you realize that this strained breathing and chest tightness have been with you since the morning, when you started walking in a rushed manner to catch your bus. You realize that you’ve been rushing all day, in fact, and haven't been tending to your inner experience. As a result, stress has gained a foothold in your body and mind. Perhaps you also become aware of the insight that your habitual fear of being late — a fear you've had since childhood — has driven you to rush and to get out of touch with yourself. You might even say to yourself in acknowledgment, "Oh, yeah, that's my old fear of being late rearing it's ugly head."

All of these things can be known just by the simple act of tuning in to the breath.

The more we rest in this state of knowing, the more our unhealthy patterns begin to unravel and new ways of working with our challenges begin to emerge.

Ultimately, aligning with the breath aligns us with awareness. And only when we are aware do we have a chance to learn and to heal. Awareness is a feedback loop in which we become cognizant of unskillful patterns of thinking and doing. As soon as we are aware of something unhealthy, its power over us begins to weaken. So the more we rest in awareness, the more these unhealthy patterns can be clarified and transformed. Spending as much time in this awareness as we can is the task of mindfulness. And that task begins with the simple act of noticing the breath and making it your friend.

Bill Scheinman

info@stressreductionatwork.com
(415) 820-1533