Mindful

    
Let's share our specifics of mindfulness practice. How does
mindfulness fit in your daily life? Are you noticing benefits,
breakthroughs, obstacles? How has it been today? And so on.
  

    
Al I can say is that if I sit daily for a while I feel better. If I don't 
sit daily, I';m OK; but there is some mysterious extra dimension that 
comes along with daily sitting.
  

    
I have a breathing deficiency, COPD, and engaging in
mindfulness/meditation activities that involve deep breathing are
very beneficial.
  

    
Oh interesting. They physically help?
  

    
Together with yoga and exercise, yes.  In my most recent pulmonology
visit, my lung capacity was increased.  I'm learning how to breathe
more deeply, and hopefully that will become more standard.
  

    
<1> Glad to hear you know the nourishment of your everyday practice
first-hand, Felicity.  I'm curious if you might wish to elaborate on
what daily sitting is for you.  

I'm sitting at a computer right now. But I'm not just sitting, I'm
sitting doing something else beside sitting.  So I think I get "just
sitting."  

Do you just sit at any particular time at any particular place? 7
days a week? Do you ever use anything to guide you – like how
Michael uses the app Calm, or anything? 
  

    
<2> Mighty news, Michael!  Very glad to hear it!! Of course I'm
sorry too to hear about COPD.  I really don't know much about it.  I
looked up your name and COPD on the WELL.  Didn't see anything but
if you've already talked about it elsewhere, which you'd like share
please feel free.  —No matter!

So the Calm app + yoga (pranayama?) seem to have proven good allies.
If you wish, please feel free to spell out any daily/weekly routine
you have with them. Maybe others might benefit to hear.  I don't
practice yoga (yet) and have never used an app (yet), so I know I
would, for one. 



Meanwhile, I'm gathering that conscious breathing can create a new
standard for autonomic breathing.  Which is marvelous to hear.

I need to learn more about the differences between conscious
breathing and autonomic breathing. 

Do you think Breathing might merit its own topic here?  
  

    
Meditation instruction often says to "breathe normally," watching
the breath but not forcing it - I'm thinking that's what you mean by
"conscious breathing," but Michael is saying that he's breathing
more deeply. Michael, are you doing both? I.e. some deep breathing,
and also following the breath without enhancing it?   
  

    
Yes.  Sometimes I do deep breathing, expanding my abdomen and then
chest to take in as much air as possible, at considerable effort,
and then force it all out.  For normal meditation, it is more
typically focusing on a normal breathing cycle.
  

    
This is interesting.  I mentioned to a relative often stressed out
that being conscious of breath, breathing, might help. Later on, I
heard her say that I told her to breathe "deeply.* And I think
that's not uncommon.  Deep breathing can be associated with
beneficial effects, so people hear attention to breath as breathing
deeply.

My understanding of mindfulness is that it invites awareness of
breath *as is,* – just so. However it may be; moment-to-moment, and
even within each breath.

Yet I think I've also read just once, from a traditional teacher,
where an early stage of mindfulness of breath meditation implies not
just awareness if a breath is long or short, deep or shallow, jagged
or smooth – but involves taking a long breath, a short breath, a
deep breath, a shallow breath, a jagged breath, a smooth breath, so
as to be aware of each.  

Eventually, I become aware of all these different kinds of breaths;
I'll ask an adept at Thai mindfulness meditation whether her's heard
of *inviting* specific qualities of breathing as part of the
practice.
  

    
However you relate to the breath, it's a useful way to anchor your
attention in the moment.