Continuing with another brief exercise from our Mindful Guide Series, here is a reflection on Conscious Breathing from mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Sometimes the simplest things help to anchor one’s awareness into the present again, taking one away from being overly preoccupied with thoughts of the past, apprehensions or anticipation of the future, or anything else that may be disconnecting from what is happening right here, right now. This is an excerpt from “Peace Is Every Step- The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life”, written by Thich Nhat Hanh. “Peace is Every Step” is a wonderful introduction to how everyday moments can be lived mindfully, and is a compilation of informal teachings and lectures. This excerpt, Conscious Breathing, is an example of an exercise that can be practiced at any time to return awareness back into the present moment, with benefits for yourself and your horse. As you read the excerpt, notice thoughts or feelings that arise, including judgments or times that you may have found paying attention to your breathing to be easier or difficult. Notice those reactions are present, and then shift your focus back to the text and attempt mindful breathing in future with an open mind and heart. Every experience is different and you may be surprised by how this exercise can impact your emotional and physical wellbeing.
There are a number of breathing techniques you can use to make life vivid and more enjoyable. The first exercise is very simple. As you breathe in, you say to yourself, “Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.” And as you breathe out, say, “Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.” Just that. You recognize your in-breath as an in-breath and your out-breath as an out-breath. You don’t even need to recite the whole sentence; you can just use two words: “In” and “Out.” This technique can help you keep your mind on your breath. As you practice, your breath will become peaceful and gentle, and your mind and body will also become peaceful and gentle.
…Our breathing is the link between our body and our mind. Sometimes our mind is thinking of one thing and our body is doing another, and mind and body are not unified. By concentrating on our breathing, “In” and “Out,” we bring body and mind back together, and become whole again. Conscious breathing is an important bridge. To me, breathing is a joy I cannot miss. Every day, I practice conscious breathing, and in my small meditation room, I have calligraphed this sentence, “Breathe, you are alive!” first breathing and smiling can make us very happy, because when we breathe consciously we recover ourselves completely and encounter life in the present moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh, from “Peace is Every Step- The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life”