No matter how stressful I am, no matter how many unwanted or painful thoughts disturb my inner peace. The moment I observe my breath, I feel peace; I feel relaxed. All those painful emotions and unwanted thoughts disappear the moment I observe my breath.
I am grateful to Siddhartha Gautama Buddha for discovering this wonderful breath observation technique. And the great thing is he didn’t just keep it within him; he shared this technique with the whole world. What a great heart he had!
We suffer more in our imaginary thoughts than in reality. There is no pain in the present moment.
Whenever you feel emotional pain, or you are trying to be in the present moment, but you are facing difficulty being in the present, then just close your eyes and gently bring your awareness to your breath. No need to change anything. Just notice the inhale and the exhale.
If you do this, you will notice that you get immediate relief. You will immediately be in the present moment.
If you are at a workplace or walking or doing any other activities, then, at that time you do not need to close your eyes to observe breath. At that time you can observe your breath while eyes are opened.
Now, you might be wondering, what if focusing on your breathing while working distracts you from the task?
No, it will not distract you, instead it will help you to be more productive and more focused, it will help you to stay in the present moment.
I have a friend who is a very good meditator. We first met at a Vipassana meditation centre. He told me to observe my breathing most of the time. He said that he also does that. When he talks to a person, he said, he does two things together – he observes his own breath and he listens to the speaker. When he walks, he walks and observes his breath.
I know he is a very good practitioner, because when I met him, I could feel his wonderful energy. He was so calm and peaceful. His voice was so deep and soothing. His face was glowing; he was speaking with so much clarity. All these things I noticed when I met him.
Observing breath is the great and easiest way to practice being in the present. Observing breath is the way to peace.