Despertar con un respiro

Taking one breath mindfully brings immediate benefits. When we offer our attention to breathing in and know we are breathing in, and when we offer our attention to breathing out, knowing we are breathing out, we remove ourselves from whatever unconscious stories we were living the moment before.

When you are angry, breathing consciously allows you to stop, to be able to look at your reactions. What was happening inside of me? With time, you get to know your anger better, and how it wakes up inside of you. You can be better friends. So when you see your old friend anger coming to visit you again, you may decide not to spend time with him or with her. “Thank you, friend Anger, for your dedication to our relationship. You enjoy spending time with me! However, I am doing something a little happier at the moment, so…”

A breath with attention invites attention elsewhere. If you are experiencing a feeling of sadness, a breath can help you see that sadness as a part of your present, not the entire present. You might notice that it changes, simply by being aware that sadness exists. Maybe you notice others around you that share your loss. Maybe its fragrance and its color take on a poignant beauty, like an autumn flower.

Or when you are happy, a conscious breath may help you savor the causes of your happiness. Here is your loved one, right beside you; here is a discovery your child has made and shared with you; here is an ache that is not present. With a breath you can be together with your partner in your loving, your connection generous and deep.

The Buddha’s earliest teachings recommend the breath as a doorway to greater insight. Regularly practicing the Full Awareness of Breathing helps us become more acquainted with each moment, and creates a gentle pathway we can easily follow when we find ourselves swept up by emotion.