Before we get started I want you to be grounded properly so that you can get the most out of your meditation. Please watch the video on the Breath! Its the most important component of meditation because its your anchor, its your start and your ending. Its what will bring you back to connecting with your core.

Being in a state of meditation means being present with what is. Breathing, following the breath, helps focus the mind and brings you back to the present moment. 

Awareness of the breath, breathing in and out nurtures mindfulness; breathing in, you know you are breathing, breathing out, you know you are breathing.

Vietnamese Zen Master and author Thich Nhat Hanh talks about mindful meditation as a way to develop deep insight, which leads to awakening and enlightenment. Meditative breathing, he says, is a tool to calm the mind so it can see into itself and gain that insight. It strengthens mind concentration and stimulates compassion, awakening each person’s true nature.

The breath is always with you. When you practice meditation and breathing you gain a skill you can use whenever you need to quiet and clear the mind. Just following a few breaths—in and out, in and out—can relax the mind and body so you can calmly observe and respond to the world around you, rather than mindlessly reacting to events. Mindful breathing is a technique you can use not only during formal meditation, but also in your daily life.