Core Practice

Mindfulness of Breathing

Sit or lie down - whatever is most comfortable for you.

Eyes open (soft gaze), or closed - your choice.

Focus attention on the breath.

Whatever breath sensations feel most prominent to you (air in nostril, feeling lungs filling with air).

Follow your own breathing rhythm.

It your mind wanders, this is normal. Don’t judge.

Notice, and practice gently bringing your attention back to your breath.

Try for 1 minute, and build up each day to 12 minutes.

This may seem like a simple practice, but it is foundational for many traditions of mindfulness. It helps to stablise your attention on a bodily function. If focusing on the breath isn’t comfortable for you, you can focus on any simple movement (touching the palms of your hands together, or placing each foot on the floor in turn).

Neuroscientist Amishi Jha and her team suggest that 12 minutes a day is a good prescription (aim). Their research studies provided evidence that 12 minutes a day can help stabilise attention and improve focus.