Breath Awareness: Meditation Focus

Focusing on your breath is a powerful mindfulness meditation practice. The basic method is to direct your attention to your breathing—its natural rhythm, flow, and sensation on each inhale and exhale. This practice serves as an anchor, providing something to centre yourself on when you feel stressed or overwhelmed by negative emotions. You can do this meditation while standing, but it's ideal to be sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. You can keep your eyes open or closed, but closing them may help with maintaining your focus.

Focus on the breath entering and exiting your nose

The first step to focusing on your breath during meditation is to find a comfortable position. You can do this practice while standing, but ideally, you should be sitting or lying down. Close your eyes, as this will help you maintain your focus.

Now, bring your attention to your nose. Feel the air as it enters your nose—cool and fresh. Observe the sensation as it passes through your nostrils and into your lungs. Then, notice the warmth and slight stuffiness of the air as it exits your nose on the exhale.

Focus on the natural rhythm and flow of your breath. Notice the slight pause between the inhale and exhale, and the pause between the exhale and the next inhale. Observe the way your body instinctively knows when to inhale and when to exhale, and how the breath feels different at each point in this cycle.

If you find your mind wandering, gently bring your attention back to your nose and the sensation of the breath passing through your nostrils. Use this as an anchor to ground yourself whenever you feel stressed or carried away by negative emotions.

Practice mindful breathing for 15 minutes daily

Practising mindful breathing for 15 minutes every day is an excellent way to cultivate mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety.

To begin, find a quiet and comfortable place where you can sit or lie down. You can keep your eyes open or closed, but closing them may help you focus better. You can do this practice while standing as well, but sitting or lying down is ideal. Now, focus your attention on your breath—its natural rhythm and flow, and how it feels as you inhale and exhale. Focusing on the breath in your nose, rather than your chest, may help you concentrate better.

You can do this practice whenever you feel stressed or anxious. However, it is beneficial to set aside a designated time for this exercise daily. The more you practice, the better you will become at mindfulness, and the easier it will be to focus your attention on your breath in your daily life.

Mindful breathing is a powerful tool to anchor yourself when stressed or carried away by negative emotions. It is a basic yet effective meditation practice that can help you sharpen your concentration skills and cool yourself down when your temper flares.

Try other meditation techniques like mantras or visualization

If you're struggling to focus on your breath during meditation, you might want to try other meditation techniques, such as mantras or visualization.

Mantras

Mantra is a Sanskrit term, with "man" meaning "mind" and "tra" meaning "release." Mantras are a popular tool in meditation, serving as an object of focus for the practitioner. They can be incorporated into any form of meditation practice, but are traditionally used in transcendental and Metta (or loving-kindness) meditations.

To use a mantra, choose a word or phrase that has a positive effect on you. Repeat this mantra to yourself during meditation, either silently or out loud. This technique will help you calm down and find inner peace and relaxation. Mantras give your mind something to focus on, making it easier to steady your mind and improve concentration.

Visualization

Visualization is a component of many meditation practices, including mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations. It is especially useful for those new to meditation, as it helps to cultivate positive psychological states.

To practice visualization meditation, find a comfortable position and close your eyes. One technique is to think of someone for whom you have positive feelings or love. Imagine them sending love to you, and picture this love as a bright, white light around your chest and heart, growing throughout your body. Then, reverse the roles and imagine yourself sending love to that person in the form of white light flowing from your body into theirs.

Another visualization technique is to focus on compassion. Direct kindness towards yourself and others, either towards one particular person or several people, depending on the exercise.

Close your eyes to maintain focus

The purpose of mindfulness meditation is to cultivate awareness and peace. Beginners often worry about the "right way" to breathe during meditation. The following are some tips to help you breathe properly during meditation:

• Allow your body to breathe naturally. If your breathing is shallow, let it be shallow; if it is deep, let it be deep.
• As an optional exercise, take several deep breaths to start with. Breathe in through your nostrils and breathe out through your mouth.
• Find a spot away from daily distractions. Make sure your family and friends know that you need some private time for meditation.
• It is very important to find a comfortable position to start with. Sitting is the most natural meditation position; you can sit on a chair, meditation cushion or bench as long as your back is straight.
• You may close your eyes or keep them open, depending on your preference. While it might be easier to concentrate with your eyes shut, keeping them open is the best long-term strategy. "Open" is really half open, because your gaze is directed down and in front of you.
• Initially, you can close your eyes to find your focus and reduce distractions, but over time keeping them open will support and deepen your understanding of your mind.
• When you feel settled, you may choose to use an initial deep breathing meditation exercise to relax. Breathe in deeply through your nose for at least three seconds and hold it in for a further two seconds. Next, exhale for at least four seconds through the mouth. You can repeat this exercise a couple of times if you’d like.
• Gradually transition into natural breathing. If your nasal passages are clear, you should breathe through your nose. The mouth should be closed or slightly open.
• During meditation, let your body, breath and mind be as they are while maintaining awareness.

Practice mindful breathing when feeling stressed or anxious

How to Practice Mindful Breathing When Feeling Stressed or Anxious

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that mindful breathing is a way to build resilience to stress, anxiety, and anger. It is a simple practice that can be done anywhere, standing, sitting, or lying down. The following steps can be followed to practice mindful breathing:

• Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down.
• Close your eyes or maintain a soft gaze.
• Focus your attention on your breath, the inhale and exhale.
• Observe each breath without trying to adjust it.
• Notice if your mind wanders, distracted by thoughts or bodily sensations.
• Gently bring your attention back to your breath.
• Stay in this position for five to seven minutes.
• Notice your body, your whole body, seated here.
• Let yourself relax even more deeply and then, if it is available, offer yourself some appreciation for doing this practice.

Frequently asked questions