We hear so much about practicing with breath, counting the breath, following the breath. It’s not uncommon especially when we first take up Zen practice to hear these words with half a heart, partial attention. We can easily be breathing half-heartedly while the other half is thinking about breathing…. or thinking about a million other things. But there’s a discovery to be made here, which is why it’s so emphasized and worth exploring. That’s the wonder of whole, entire, all-in breathing.
What happens to our practice when we actually pay whole-hearted attention to the breath. Attention. Attention. Attention. This very practice we’re talking about here is not a consolation prize. It’s the grand prize. Ready for the taking. Start with the exhale. Not forced, not exaggerated, not straining in any fiber of your being. But just your natural exhale, where it all falls out.
Similar to the exhale we naturally experience when we’re so relieved, whew, all the way out, no more holding or holding back. Breathing out and then, just when you need it, the inhale flows effortlessly in. The breath is a birthright. Breath is the key to wholehearted presence. Even when you’re not aware of it, it functions. Rather like a vow. The breath is the great vow we share with all living beings.