Work-life balance is critical to success in both areas, and Technalink understands this very well. It is one of the core principles in learning how to meditate, and this is for good reason. Breathing is the cornerstone of how we live, and in many ways, it is also the first and very best tool that people can use to improve mindfulness and even stress reduction.
So even though many people are familiar with books, films, novels, and even humor poking fun at “learning how to breathe,” there is a very real benefit to using this when learning how to meditate. Here’s why it’s so important and useful.
Always There
The first and most important thing to note about breathing and incorporating good breathing techniques for meditation is that breathing is the most accessible tool people will ever have. There are a number of different ways to meditate and various tools to help draw in focus, such as meditation prayer stones or even virtual reality. These tools provide a way to narrow and concentrate attention on a single thing and, in turn, to monitor only the present, thus achieving a state of mindfulness.
There are even different activities that can achieve the same effect, such as meditation by taking a walk or even sensory deprivation by entering an isolation tank to reduce distractions. However, all of these tools and activities require a bit more effort to prepare and utilize.
Your breath, however, is always there. Even if it’s raining and you can’t take a walk, or you’re not at home and don’t have access to your VR headset, or you forgot your prayer stones, you can never forget your breath. You take it with you wherever you go, and thus, you can always rely on it to provide a focal point from which you can build a good meditation technique.
Affects Your Body
Another aspect of learning how to meditate that is crucially tied to breathing is the fact that breathing affects your health, state of mind, and even your stress levels. The body’s interactions go both ways, so not only are you affected by the way your body feels, such as wanting to eat when experiencing hunger, but you can also affect how your body feels, such as controlling your breathing to manage stress.
Your rate of breathing can either reflect your current emotional condition or state of mind or, conversely, can be used to influence emotional conditions or states of mind. For example, when people are afraid, or experiencing anxiety, or panic, their heart and breathing rates go up. This is a natural reaction to the body receiving signals of an imminent threat and preparing the lungs and muscles for the presumed high levels of energy and activity that will be required to flee or fight a predator because the body can only provide a physical response to physical threats.
Unfortunately, anxiety or concern about the future are not physical threats, and thus, even if the body is prepared to fight or run away from these anxieties and concerns, there is no physical way to do this. However, by engaging in breath exercises, taking a break from focusing on anxiety-inducing thoughts to breathe slowly, and meditate, the act of taking control of breathing and deliberately slowing it down forces the heart to slow as well, and as the body calms down, that calming state can no longer reinforce thoughts or emotions focused on anxiety.
So even if a person may be experiencing stress or anxiety, they are now reducing the effect of that stress on their body, and, with good meditation techniques, may reduce the stress as a whole. So, even though breathing is something we take for granted, it is a powerful tool always available to us.
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