Mindfulness is the practice of being awake to the present moment. One method for keeping your mental focus in the present moment is by "conscious breathing".
"Conscious Breathing"
"In our daily life, we breathe, but we forget that we're breathing. The foundation of all mindfulness practice is to bring our attention to our in-breath and out-breath. This is called mindfulness of breathing, or conscious breathing. It's very simple, but the effect can be very great. In our daily life, although our body is in one place, our mind is often in another. Paying attention to our in-breath and our out-breath brings our mind back to our body. And suddenly we are there, fully present in the here and now.
Conscious breathing is like drinking a glass of cool water. As we breathe in, we really feel the air filling our lungs. We don't need to control our breath. We feel the breath as it actually is. It may be long or short, deep or shallow. In the light of our awareness it will naturally become slower and deeper. Conscious breathing is the key to uniting body and mind and bringing the energy of mindfulness into each moment of our life.
Regardless of our internal weather - our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions - our breathing is always with us like a faithful friend. Whenever we feel carried away, sunk in a deep emotion, or caught in thoughts about the past or the future, we can return to our breathing to collect and anchor our mind.
It's very important to get in touch with the healing, refreshing, and nourishing elements of life inside and around you."
- Thich Nhat Hanh,
Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices.
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