Breathing Meditation

Rest your attention on the feeling of breathing, without making it slower or deeper. Each time you notice attention wandering, return to one breath.

Read the practice steps

What is breathing meditation?

Breathing can be an attention anchor without changing its pace. Notice where the sensation is easiest to feel: air at the nostrils, movement in the chest, or the rise and fall of the belly. Choose one place for this sit. It gives attention something simple to return to rather than a feeling to achieve.

Noticing rather than controlling

Your breaths may be short, long, uneven or barely noticeable. Let them happen without judging their shape. There is no need to pause between breaths or count seconds. If you want to intentionally follow a rhythm, use the online breathing timer orbox breathing guide; those are paced exercises rather than the natural-breath practice described here.

A simple natural-breath practice

1. Sit comfortably, upright but not stiff. Rest your hands anywhere easy.
2. Choose a place where you can feel the breath and notice one inhale.
3. Follow the ordinary sensations of the next exhale.
4. When attention moves to planning, sounds or a memory, notice that gently.
5. Return to the sensation at your chosen spot. Do this as often as needed.
6. At the end, notice your whole body and the room before standing.

When to use it

Noticing breathing fits into small gaps in the day: a few minutes before sleep, in the minute before a meeting starts, or when you arrive somewhere and want to actually be there. If you enjoy this, you might also like our5 minute meditation timer with a guided script, or the mindfulness meditationpractice, where the breath stays natural and you simply watch it.

Common questions

Should I breathe through my nose or mouth?

Use whichever is comfortable. Notice the sensations without forcing a required breathing route. The anchor can be movement in your belly rather than air passing through your nose.

What if I keep losing track of the breath?

Return to the next breath you can feel. Noticing distraction is part of practice; you do not need an unbroken stretch of concentration. If attending to breath feels uncomfortable, try feeling your feet on the floor instead.

Try a short practice

Read the steps first, then start this five-minute timer. There are no spoken instructions. Let your breathing find its own pace while the timer handles the ending.

Back to the main meditation timer