Love your breath. Then you will so keen, so eager to focus on your breath. You will feel: “Oh, I’m so happy, because my breath is my best friend. I love my breath dearly, and this is the opportunity to be alone with my best friend, my favourite companion.”
Who doesn’t want to be alone with their best friend? Rather than being dismayed at the prospect of sitting still with our boring breath and mechanical counting, we are faced instead with the thrilling opportunity to engage in our favourite pastime with our beloved friend.
Our breath is the most essential reality in our lives: stop breathing, and we’re dead, so it’s very, very important. Yet how often do we give our breath any attention? Almost never. We take it for granted, the same way we take for granted that the sun shines, or the light comes on when we flick the switch. So many things in life which we take for granted, but they are amazing: and there’s nothing more amazing in our life than our breath. Our breath is a miracle. And it’s happening the whole time, right here. I’m looking here and there, chatting, reading, working, worrying, focussed on everything and nothing, while this incredible miracle is happening within me, at every moment.
Our breath is always giving to us – energy, oxygen, life-force, inspiration – it’s always feeding us and nourishing us, so let’s spend some time giving something back. Our breath is our oldest, most intimate, closest, most loyal friend. It’s the only friend who has never ever let us down in our life.
Everyone appreciates getting some attention and appreciation, and our breath is no different. So, let’s show our breath some love, let’s show our breath some concern, some attention, some focus.