Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

you have not really changed anything; you are simply letting your
breath flow more naturally. As long as your breathing feels pleasant,
you know you are doing something right.
You are not trying to change anything; you are simply taking time to
bring your attention back to your breath. You do not have to struggle
or make an effort. If you do, you will disrupt the natural flow of your
breath and notice yourself becoming uneasy. What you are trying to
do, as best you can, is to simply be with your breath and allow
yourself to slow down and enjoy the present moment.
By bringing our mind into the present moment, we achieve
mindfulness. When we bring the mind home in this way, we also
become more aware of our body. If we continue to practice mindful
breathing, we can find ourselves easing back into our bodies in a very
short space of time. We begin to feel more connected, more
grounded, and also more alert to all that’s happening in and around
us.
Breathing is the bridge to the body. Attending deliberately to our
breathing helps to anchor our attention in the present moment, and
gives us a platform from which we can observe the changing patterns
of our thoughts and feelings, as they move and shift from one
concern to another, from one sensation to another. It is important to
note what comes up for you when you slow down in this way, and
then to let it go and see what happens next.
Because our mind so naturally wanders, it requires practice to be
mindful. There are many different exercises that can guide your
practice and some may suit you more than others. The following are a
sample of the exercises we used most frequently in the Deora course.
Basic Breathing Exercises
Exercise 1: In/Out
The first breathing exercise is “In/Out”. Very simply, we choose to
pay attention to the movement of the breath in and out of our body.
We may notice the sensation of air passing in and out of our nostrils
or we may keep our attention on the sensations of our tummies
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