We might’ve heard about or encountered different types of breathing techniques and their benefits. And we might’ve wondered whether it was worth trying and, if so, which one could work better for us. We might’ve even tried different types of breathing when stressed or overwhelmed. Some of us might’ve experienced some ease and relief when practicing it, and others might’ve found it useless. Yet, with all the differences in types, techniques, and seemingly different benefits, conscious breathing is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. And why is that?
Let’s explore what conscious breathing is and how it serves us.
Conscious breathing simply means to be conscious of our breath. Now the question is, what does it mean to be conscious of our breath, and how being conscious of the breath might help us with anything?
To be conscious of our breathing is to focus our attention deliberately on the breath.
Breathing is an involuntary act of the body, like billions of other intelligent, precise actions happening in the body, without us having to think about it. Of course, we have many other things to think about. We think of different thoughts incessantly. It is the mind’s function to produce thoughts, and every single thought has the capacity to draw our attention toward itself. So, the mind produces thoughts, and our attention feeds the thoughts so that the mind produces more of those thoughts. And it all happens habitually without us even being aware of this process. And not being aware of our thinking process, many of our daily thoughts would be futile and repetitive about rehashing the past or worrying about the future.
You may take a minute to look at your thoughts and see how many of them are chosen by you and benefit your daily life and how many of them just randomly pass by, engaging your attention and wasting your time if not causing any harm. Just be aware of the sneaky ones that tell you, “See, I’m choosing my thoughts.”, “What’s the use of all these?”, “How does it make any difference?” and many more. Those are, again, thoughts. But thoughts are not alone; they have emotions to accompany them all along. The human body responds to thoughts by producing emotions. Then thoughts become even more powerful and believable. That’s why it’s life-changing to master the mind, and this mastery begins with becoming aware of our thoughts.
Not being aware of thoughts, we live at the mercy of them, reacting to life challenges. We repeat ourselves in different situations based on our past conditionings. Whereas by being aware of our thoughts and emotions, we can free ourselves from the past. And not being run by them, we can respond wisely to the needs of our life situations. And it changes everything.
Now you might wonder what it all has to do with conscious breathing.
Considering the power of the mind and how it habitually thinks of thoughts incessantly, and how every thought has a magnetic pull to draw our attention to itself, we can break through this habitual conditioning by focusing our attention on the breath. The breath acts as an anchor to break through the stream of thoughts and steady our attention, not to be drifted off to thinking in a habitual way.
The fun fact is that we can’t think and simultaneously pay attention to our breath. And it doesn’t matter if we pay attention to a whole cycle of the breath or the rise and fall of the chest when breathing; as long as we steady our attention on our breath, it helps us to rise above the habitual thinking process and stand aware of thoughts, instead of being carried away by them. So, it doesn’t matter which technique we choose as long as we remember the main purpose of conscious breathing. Different people prefer different methods, and you may find what feels more comfortable for you.
Now breaking through the stream of thoughts by holding on to the breath, we recognize the gap between thoughts. Entering the gap between thoughts, we step out of the entanglement of thoughts. In that gap, we become aware of thoughts instead of being carried away by them. And being aware of thoughts, we can choose which thought to follow and which to let go of. We can become the master of our minds instead of being at the mercy of them.
However, mastering the mind through conscience breathing takes practice. Because the mind is long conditioned to run by itself, it doesn’t let go of its position easily. Therefore, the moment we put our attention to the breath, a thought comes in and distracts us. The key to success is to be persistent with our practice, just as we would be with our physical exercise. We might need to practice regularly to train the mind through conscious breathing, the same as training the physical body through regular exercise. The more we practice, the easier it becomes to recognize our thoughts, which one to follow and which to let go of. It needs intention and consistent practice.
It’s good to remember that mastering the mind is not just about the thoughts. In fact, being aware of the thoughts and not being consumed by them is a small aspect of this mastery. The most important part is paying attention to the space between and in the background of thoughts. The space in which thoughts appear and disappear. We habitually give our attention exclusively to the content and overlook the space. It’s like the space of a room without which there wouldn’t be any room, yet it’s mostly overlooked. And it’s also like the silence in the background and in between the notes, without which there wouldn’t be any music.
But what is important about this background? It is in this space that peace and joy reside. It is the hidden reason why we feel calmer when we take conscious breaths. We can only know the here and now in that silent space. Worry and stress are feelings connected to certain thoughts about the future, while regret and many other negative feelings are connected to some thoughts about the past. Now conscious breathing anchors our attention to itself, which is always in the present moment. And being in the present moment for just one breath length, we feel relieved from all those feelings of the past and future. In that momentary relief, we break through time and space and experience peace and joy, eternally present in the here and now. And, of course, we can choose to think of some practical thoughts we’d like to. And those thoughts that come from the power of presence carry wise responses to the needs of the present moment. Those are creative thoughts, free from the repetitiveness of past conditionings. And those are the thoughts we need for a better future.
In that space of presence, we experience the joy of simply perceiving our sense perceptions. By becoming familiar with this joy, peace, and ease, we can invite some of those simple moments of joy into our busy daily lives. Let’s say we have a cup of tea or coffee while working. And being all in the entanglement of thoughts, we usually drink it without even noticing the smell or taste of it. Now taking just one conscious breath, we can open up a short space in the stream of thoughts, enjoy one or two sips of our tea or coffee, and let the refreshment of that momentary pause enhance our performance at work. Or we might wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back asleep as our minds are filled with lots of thoughts. Then few conscious breaths could declutter the mind and help us sleep better at night. You may benefit from a wide range of its benefits by sparing some minutes every day to practice conscious breathing.
In conclusion, conscious breathing is a powerful tool that can help us break free from negative thought patterns and become masters of our minds. It takes practice, but the benefits are worth it. And it allows us to experience peace and joy in the present moment, which is where we truly are. The breath and mind are both incredible resources to which we have unlimited access. We just need to know how to integrate the two to free the mind so that its thoughts derive from the power of presence, peace, ease, and compassion. Conscious breathing can enhance every aspect of our lives, as the mind is involved in every aspect of our being.