Awareness of the breath allows you to become aware of the stillness that is already there within you. It is a great tool for inner peace.
Straight To Awareness
Breath awareness is such a good tool for remaining present and conscious. Observing your breath automatically puts you in a state of awareness, at one with the present moment. It keeps your awareness within your body and takes away the power that a stream of thought or emotion may have.
Become aware of your breath as you read this article. Feel the air flow in and out of your body. Notice that you only need to observe, and the body breathes all by itself.
Can you notice any space around or within the breath?
As you practice breath awareness, at first you may experience your mind pulling you back into identification with it, into a stream of thinking.
The moment you notice this unconsciousness, it means you are conscious again. From there you can simply go back to your breath.
This practice is so simple and effective, but the mind will want to overcomplicate it. Just feel the breath. If you experience emotion or discomfort, remain feeling your breath and allowing everything within you to be.
Feel your breath flowing into your whole body, or even as if it is flowing up from your feet to fill the whole body - this is a good grounding exercise.
Remain with the breath, and you will find your awareness filling your body.
From here, if you wish, you can enter the inner energy field of the body.
You can be aware of your breath at any time - when you are sitting doing nothing, talking to someone, engaging in any activity or non-activity.
Just keeping some awareness here means you are more conscious and less likely to lose yourself in whatever you are doing. You will not be pulled as easily into unconsciousness. You will also be able to notice more easily when you are being pulled in.
The pull of the mind and all of its thoughts can sometimes be very strong. Simple observance of the breath means that some consciousness fuelling the mind is taken away from it.
Many people use awareness of breath as a formal meditation, but it can be used in a way that turns all of life into a meditation.
Awareness of breath is a tool for present moment awareness. Your breath only exists in the present. It is a very simple tool that is very easily accessible.
Feel free to listen to the guided meditation - From Breathing To Being on this site, which takes awareness to the breath, and then to the natural state of being.
Awareness of the breath is one of the most simple yet most powerful spiritual practices you can do. Be aware of the breath whenever you can to remain conscious and present.