Written by Jen Liu

“Like a metronome that resides in each of us, our breath plays the rhythm of our sacred life force from birth to death, working to support us even when we're not aware of it. We don't meditate with anyone else's breath, not even a great teacher's; we work with our own and, through the intimate bridge that it builds between our mind and body, we develop greater familiarity with our direct experience of ourselves.”

The practice of mindfulness meditation begins with cultivating awareness of one's breath. So what makes the breath such a powerful, versatile tool that it constitutes the very foundation of this transformative teaching?

The answer to this question can be found by checking in with your own breath and observing its qualities. Where is it located? It's not outside of you like a singing bowl, incense, or candle is. You'll notice that your breath is as close to home as you can get: within your own body. You don't have to remember to pack it when you travel, because you can't possibly leave it behind.

It's free and accessible to all; it doesn't ask you to pay to own, register for, or subscribe to it. It's constant and doesn't require any extra steps to operate. Like a metronome that resides in each of us, it plays the rhythm of our sacred life force from birth to death, working to support us even when we're not aware of it. We don't meditate with anyone else's breath, not even a great teacher's; we work with our own and, through the intimate bridge that it builds between our mind and body, we develop greater familiarity with our direct experience of ourselves. At the same time that it roots us deeper into our personal experience, it also connects us to all meditators throughout time and space who have used their breath in the very same way.

You'll also notice that the breath lives undeniably in the present. Try focusing on the breath you took 5 seconds ago or the breath you will take 5 seconds from now, and you'll find that you can't. The only breath you can reliably access is the one rooted in the here and now. This unique ability to directly link us to the present moment is part of its perfect design.

The ancient technology that is mindfulness of the breath is both simple and immeasurably profound. When you feel you don't have enough time for a formal meditation session or a retreat seems out of the question, remember that this tool is always available to you, even when a cushion is not. Taking even one mindful cycle of breath — one inhale and one exhale during which you remain present and awake — can be a way to stay connected to your practice.

Dedicate one meditation session this week to tapping into some gratitude for the breath and observing its qualities, including what happens to it when you are lost in thought. Let us know what specific qualities of the breath have led to insight for you, or make it an overall useful tool in your meditation practice.