Why Do We Focus on the Breath?

Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening right now. And the breath is always happening right now.

The breath is always with us, anywhere we go. When we connect with breath, we connect with the present.

The breath is a great teacher. It is already teaching us everything we need to know about mindfulness meditation. With each inhalation, the breath takes it all in, without discrimination, without judgment. With each exhalation, the breath lets everything go.

Taking it all in means nonjudgmental awareness of the present. It means just noticing what is happening right now: What do you hear right now? What do you see? What do you smell, taste, touch, feel?

Letting it all go means letting go of what gets in the way of nonjudgmental awareness. When we are caught up in our thoughts, we can’t see or hear clearly. When we let go of our thoughts, we can see and hear what’s right in front of us.

That is mindfulness practice. Breathing in, we take it all in. Breathing out, we let everything go.