Dearest Friends,

It was delightful to be in your company in today’s gathering.

In today’s session, we continued our exploration of the breath as a support for cultivating mindfulness, focusing specifically on why the breath is one of the simplest yet most powerful tools for fostering tranquility (samatha). Here are a few of the reasons why:

• The breath serves as a direct link to our nervous system: Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous (“rest and digest”) system, which lowers our blood pressure, slows our heart rate and signals our bodies to relax.
• It serves as an anchor for our attention: Focusing on the breath draws the mind away from racing thoughts and anchors it in the present moment, interrupting counterproductive cycles of catastrophizing and rumination.
• It supports regulating our emotions: Conscious breathing reduces the overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, which subsequently makes intense emotions more manageable.
• It creates a physical rhythm that’s calming in its own right: The steady rhythm of the inhalation and the exhalation creates a soothing pattern that the body and mind naturally follow, much like a lullaby.
• It’s an incredibly accessible tool: Unlike other calming practices, the breath is always available—it doesn’t need specific equipment or customized settings—which makes it a wonderfully portable tool for peace!

SUGGESTED PRACTICE:

Sit quietly with your gaze lowered or your eyes half-closed. Start counting “one” on the inhale and “two” on the exhale. Continue counting the half-breaths in this manner until you reach ten. Then start all over again at one. When the mind wanders and you lose the count, simply start again at one. Practice in this way for a few minutes. At the end of the meditation, pause to observe what’s shifted in your body, your heart and your mind as a result of being mindful of the breath.

RECOMMENDED POEM:

Danna Faulds’ Just This Breath

REFLECTION PROMPTS: 

1. What are some of your favorite ways of using the breath to calm, center or ground yourself? Feel free to list all the methods that you’ve found helpful!
2. In what areas of your life can you lean on the breath more deliberately, especially during times of contraction, difficulty or tension?