Expert: Stuart Resnick - 11/28/2006

Question
Hi
Could you recommend me some breathing exercises that I could practice everyday at home for a few minutes?
What are the most essential benefits of good breathing?
thank you

Answer
In meditation practice, being attentive to your breath is a great way to find your clear mind, the mind that perceives this moment just as it is.

Practice breathing long, slow, and steady. Breath down to your center, the area an inch or two below the navel. Let the exhalation be especially slow and steady, about twice as long as the inhalation.

The most important point is to be attentive. With each breath, simply be aware of whether you're inhaling or exhaling, be aware of your center rising an falling. Whatever thoughts or feelings arise, meet them also with simple awareness, allow them to appear and disappear like clouds in the sky, as you return your attention to your breath again and again.