Breathing and breathing control are central to many meditative and yogic activities (such as pranayama, as mentioned earlier). You inhale from one nostril, catch your breath, and exhale through the other nostril with one technique (holding your finger over the first nostril to direct the flow of breath). Another technique is to shorten your breath and breathe in and out quickly.
There are several distinctions between mindfulness practices. In one mindfulness exercise, you consciously lengthen your breath and remain conscious that you are doing so. Some mindfulness methods, like the one popularized
by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, also include breathing in and out while repeating a sentence, such as "Breathing in, I quiet the breath, breathing out, I smile." Each mindfulness technique has a slightly different effect. In the act of introducing mindfulness to the breath, certain people purposefully relax it.
This book's mindfulness exercise focuses on the uncontrolled, completely normal breath. This exercise does not cause you to lengthen, shorten, catch, or deepen your breath in any way. This recommendation is made for two major reasons.
To begin with, allowing the breath to be normal is better than attempting to control it.
Your mind and body will become exhausted if you meditate for a long time—ten to twenty minutes or more—and spend the whole time trying to regulate your breathing. Allowing your breath to flow naturally is quick and easy to maintain.
Second, and most critically, ordinary breathing helps one to be present in the present moment. Being conscious of situations just as they happen is one of the fundamental tenets of mindfulness practice. We learn not to attempt to regulate our life experiences, but to let them unfold naturally. While we do not actually become silent, this cultivates a quiet embrace of life. However, if your breath is shallow, keep it that way.
Take a moment to note how shallow the breathing is. Allow your breath to be as long as it needs to be. And so on. Rather than influence, we develop skills in observation and acceptance.
You may also want to read more about Mindfulness Meditation and Healing here.
