You might be wondering what the difference is a between breathing meditation and any other meditation. After all, isn’t breathing part-n-parcel to meditation (to say nothing about life in general)?
Good question. When people talk about breathing meditation, it’s usually in reference to making the breath a vehicle for entry into the meditative state. Other common vehicles include visualization, chanting a mantra, focusing on a single object like a flame or bowl of water, walking, or even focusing internally on a specific location in the body.
Let’s have a look at how to use the breath as a vehicle into meditation.
5 Steps to Breathing Mediation
1. Right Place, Right Time
The first step to an effective breathing meditation – and most meditations, for that matter – is to find a space where you wont be disturbed. Some place quiet and dimly lit is best.
2. No Slouching
An upright and straight spine is best for effective meditation, but this doesn’t mean you have to twist your legs into a pretzel. The important thing is to be comfortable so that you’re not distracted from throbbing knees or a sore bottom. So experiment a little bit – do you prefer a chair with a straight back to lean against, or would you rather sit on the floor, a stool or even a kneeling chair? The important thing is to keep your spine straight and your body comfortable enough to avoid being distracted.
3. Pre-Med Prep
No, not the entrance exams, the relaxed focus. Let your eyes relax. You can close them partially or completely. Now take three slow, deep breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. When you inhale, fill your lungs as much as you can, then hold for a few seconds. When you exhale, imagine any tension in your body, worry or distracting thoughts leaving with the breath.
4. Breathin’ Easy
After three, tension reducing breaths, just allow your breath to be natural. Bring your focus to the sensations of breathing. You may notice a tickling as the air enters your nose, or the subtle rise and falls of your chest and shoulders with each breath. Observing these sensations is the focus and purpose of the meditation.
5. Judgment, Distraction and Return
When you begin your first breathing meditation, you’ll probably find your mind wandering a lot. You may also notice yourself judging or analyzing the sensations you’re observing. This is normal but not very beneficial. So whenever you notice your mind wandering or making judgments and assessments of things – either inside or outside yourself – simply bring your attention back to your breath. With practice, this will become easier and easier to do, until your mind really feels a sense of freedom from thought, distraction, worry or discomfort.
Have you ever used breathing meditation? How did it work for you? If you haven’t, give this a try for about a week and then leave a comment and let us know how it’s going.

I recommend breathing meditation when on a hiking trail or a place where there is fresh air. Doing it in an airconditioned room doesn't really work and you might get sore throats.
Meditation is a way of life.
its just the 1st 3 deep breathes as mentioned.. rest of the time is in awareness only.. so your mind is focused on the moment of the breath.. cheers
For meditation to be successful, one has to lay the foundation for it. This is the ability to keep the mind focused on one thing without wandering all over. One easy technique to develop the focus is ‘Focusing on breathing’ practiced since ancient times. Beginners can enjoy better success by using the fingers or counting the breaths to anchor the mind and the breath together.
*** Six different modes of practicing this technique are explained in my web page "Breath Awareness'- http://countingbreaths.com/fob/relax. I have been teaching the finger modes (Tip and Segment modes) from 4 year old children to 97 year old seniors. Once taught in less than 30 minutes, they love it and do it on their own. The segment mode is described below:
SEGMENT MODE: Every finger has 3 segments, separated by 2 lines. Place the tip of the thumb at the top segment of the little finger. Breathe in and out once, without counting. Shift the thumb to the middle segment and breathe in and out. Move to the bottom segment and breathe in and out. Repeat the same steps at the next 3 fingers. At the thumb, place the tip of the index finger on its segments and breathe in and out once, at each segment. Now switch to the other hand and repeat the same practice. Continue practicing, switching hands.
*** The best time to begin developing this new habit is to do it when lying in bed – to get into sleep, when sleep is disturbed and as soon as we wake up, to drive the sleep away!
*** Different ways of practicing, how to practice it throughout the day and testimonials can be seen in the above cited web page. Perceptible results start from day one.
For meditation to be successful, one has to lay the foundation for it. This is the ability to keep the mind focused on one thing without wandering all over. One easy technique to develop the focus is ‘Focusing on breathing’ practiced since ancient times. Beginners can enjoy better success by using the fingers or counting the breaths to anchor the mind and the breath together.
*** Six different modes of practicing this technique are explained in my web page “Breath Awareness'- http://countingbreaths.com/fob/relax. I have been teaching the finger modes (Tip and Segment modes) from 4 year old children to 97 year old seniors. Once taught in less than 30 minutes, they love it and do it on their own. The segment mode is described below:
SEGMENT MODE: Every finger has 3 segments, separated by 2 lines. Place the tip of the thumb at the top segment of the little finger. Breathe in and out once, without counting. Shift the thumb to the middle segment and breathe in and out. Move to the bottom segment and breathe in and out. Repeat the same steps at the next 3 fingers. At the thumb, place the tip of the index finger on its segments and breathe in and out once, at each segment. Now switch to the other hand and repeat the same practice. Continue practicing, switching hands.
*** The best time to begin developing this new habit is to do it when lying in bed – to get into sleep, when sleep is disturbed and as soon as we wake up, to drive the sleep away!
*** Different ways of practicing, how to practice it throughout the day and testimonials can be seen in the above cited web page. Perceptible results start from day one.
[…] November 30, 2010 […]
I use breathing meditation… with a mantra… with a binaural/isochronic soundtrack… And I STILL have a challenge stopping my monkey mind racing off after all the ‘fascinating thoughts’ it just has to examine and play with – this is especially true the last few days. This is an experiential summary of my meditation: breathing breathing breathing blah blah blah (repeat to fade). I do all the elements you mention, other than the three intentionally cleansing breaths… I will add this and see how I get on. If anyone has any inights or wisdom on the subject ‘hello mind, thank you very much, now STFU’, I’d be happy to hear from you:)
I use breathing meditation twice a day for post surgery healing. I had thoracic surgery and the doctors had to collapse the left lobe of my lungs to do the surgery. When you bring air down into the lower portion of the lungs, where the oxygen exchange is most efficient, everything changes. My heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, my muscles relax and anxiety eases and my mind calms.My doctors are amazed at my progress compared to the other surgery patients.When he asked what I did for such a quick recovery process I explained how I do cleansing breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, nostril breathing . I recently added quick breaths for my upper airway.I take about eight quick shallow breaths then end with one long deep breath. Restorative breaths are advised for preoperative and postoperative patients.
Breathing
meditation is one of the most popular forms of meditation because of its ease
and simplicity. In this meditation you can feel a significant difference in
your life and your stress levels in a relatively short period of time.