MINDFUL BASICS: Breath Day 6: Calming and Steadying with the Breath Tara: A friend saw a sign in Las Vegas that read, “You must be present to win.” In a way, this sums up much of what we’ve been learning. You may be sensing already in the Mindfulness Daily training that the real gifts of life are more available as you arrive in a relaxed and clear presence. In this session, we’ll continue with mindfulness of breathing and start developing a skill essential to remaining present in any endeavor - the ability to steady and calm your mind. Researchers have demonstrated that with mindfulness training your mind becomes less scattered and distracted. What this means is that those mental functions you rely on in your daily life - memory, reasoning, planning, problem-solving - are all positively affected by mindfulness. A regular practice of mindful breathing will slowly and gradually deepen your ability to stay steady and present for each moment.
We’ll begin with the breath, but this deepening presence translates to all other experiences. As most of us experience when we’re in the thick of stress, rather than a calm and steady mind, we’re often in a space of being jumpy and distracted. There's a tool we’d like to introduce in this session that’s very supportive in gathering and focusing attention. As you feel the in-breath and out-breath in the guided practice, we’ll invite you to silently say the word “calm” with the inflow and “ease” with the outflow. You'll whisper these words in your mind with a soft, inner voice. As you note each breath in this way, with kind awareness, your sense of calm and ease will slowly grow. You’ll be steadying your body and your mind. Even brief moments of calm and ease are seeds of wellbeing and focus that will keep growing as you continue to practice.
As you train in mindfulness of breathing, you’ll notice that the experience of feeling calm and focused will ebb and flow. In one minute you may feel quite quiet and present, and in the next minute, distracted and agitated. This is natural, and it happens in all mindfulness practices. Let these waves come and go without judgment and simply remain relaxed and dedicated, as one teacher explained, “You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
Maintaining a kind and interested attention to the breath through all the changes in your mind is actually how you deepen the art of a calm and steady focus. The breath becomes an anchor, the foundation of steadiness and presence. Then at various times throughout your day, you might do short, one-minute sessions, maybe while sitting at your desk or between meetings or preparing for the next task on your list. In those times, try pausing.
Pause for a moment of mindful breathing before opening the door and stepping into the office with someone you have an important meeting with or before a discussion with your teenager about limits and expectations. Especially during these times, you may find that the mental whisper of “calm” with the in-breath and “ease” with the out-breath helps you arrive again in presence. Your breath is always here for you to use to calm and steady your attention. So, let's explore this together in practice. Settle in again with dignity and graciousness. Establish a simple sense of presence. Let your body arrive in this moment and your mind rest at ease. Notice the state of your body just now, however, it is, and bring a kind attention to it. You might fill it with the half-smile of kindness. And now, take two or three deep breaths to release any tension. Feel the breath moving through the body. Now let the breath resume its natural rhythm.
Bring your attention to wherever you most easily feel it in your body - your nostrils or throat, chest, or belly. Simply be as mindful of your breathing as you can. And whenever your attention wanders - whether after two breaths or 10 - as soon as you notice, bring it back gently. This repeated returning is the training of awareness. This breath, this moment. Now, with your next breaths, begin to add the soft, inner words “calm” and “ease” as you breathe in and out, keeping your attention primarily on the changing sensations of breathing. Just let those soft words “calm” and “ease” quiet the mind and enhance the focus. Calm and ease. Letting the rhythm of the breath change as it will, sometimes long, sometimes short, simply feel the rhythm just as it is now each moment. Mindfulness of this breath, sensing the qualities of calm and ease as you experience it.
