Usually while doing yoga practice, we are letting the breath flow in and out of the body at its own pace, and the job of the conscious mind is to observe the sensation of the breath. Our breath can tell us how we really feel. Focusing on the breath brings me back from my thoughts and helps me to focus on my body and be where I am, where my body is, rather than disassociating into thoughts of the past or the future or what someone said or did or what I did or have to do. Focussing on my breath helps me quiet my mind.
In the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections, the Buddha said, “Life lasts for the duration of one breath.”
Precious life is based on our breath, so tuning into breathing is extremely powerful to calm the mind. Breathing can feel the changes inside and outside our bodies and also perceive the thought processes inside our minds. When we are relaxed and carefree, we can breathe easier. Conversely, when we are under pressure, we may become short of breath. Sometimes in yoga we unconsciously hold our breath when we are not relaxed or struggling with a pose, focussing on the pose first rather than the breath first. I have begun to use breathing as a means for cultivating more gratitude and in adjusting my life and purifying my mind. I observe how I breathe in and out, increasing my awareness of the condition of my body and mind, and then try to breathe to move into positive emotion. It has such an impact and I can see why the practice of awareness of the breath has always been emphasized for meditation and yoga practice.
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