Belly Breathing

Working with the breath can be considered the cornerstone of mindfulness practice. When I first started working with the breath about 14 years ago, it was an incredible relief to realize that I could locate my awareness to another part of my experience, other then the ruminating mind. Don't get me wrong; thinking is an amazing gift that humans have, and is responsible for art, poetry, literature, design and a host of other abilities that we use everyday, every moment. But thinking can also be harmful when it takes the form of worry, obsession, rumination, confusion, judgement, and negative self-talk. 

At one point in my life, the negative forms of thinking began to dominate, leading to a serious bout of depression and anxiety. Meditation practices, specifically focusing on the breath, offered a way to slow down the racing thoughts, and give the attention another place to hang out. It's as if we've been spending all our time in a dismal, cramped apartment, and suddenly find the stairway to a clean, larger space below. A true relief. 

"Belly breathing" is a way to deepen the breath and involve more of the body in our awareness. Thoughts simply don't get the same attention  as they did before. Now, the movements of the belly rising and falling with each breath become the focus of attention. Variations of the practice include focusing on the whole breath path from "top to bottom", or  even focusing on the whole body, as if it were a huge lung or inflatable balloon. Flexibility is important here, and not getting hung up on whether one is doing it "right" or "wrong." Decide which approach  is "right" for you in any moment. Mindfulness, recall, is more about noticing our experience, instead of "doing" something correctly or not. 

The other great thing about belly breathing- also called diaphragmatic breathing- is that it can be done almost anywhere, anytime... at tense meetings, during class, riding in the car. I can't always strike a "tree pose" during a staff meeting, but I can focus on my belly for a few seconds. The ocean is always calm under the surface, to borrow a metaphor from Jon Kabat-Zinn. 

There are many different ways to practice with the breath, and many locations you can focus on. I've decided that all are OK to use at any time I choose. But belly breathing is a very powerful mindfulness tool to have in your toolkit. 

There are lots of instructions on-line to get started with this practice. Books or guided meditations from Jon Kabat-Zinn are highly recommended. If you have a smart phone, try the free "Insight timer" app, and look for meditations by Jack Kornfield or Sharon Salzberg.