How to breathe

[Don]

Hi
Apologies in advance if this question seems a little ridiculous.
The first mindfulness text I was lucky enough to stumble across described the sensation of the breathe at the nostril tips as part of the core method.
I found this very effective but now that hayfever season is here I am too congested to do this properly and mainly breathe through my mouth.
I try now to be aware of my rib cage falling and rising instead. Kind of works but not as effective.
Are there rights or wrongs or is 'whatever works' the best way to go?
Many thanks for any tips
Best wishes,
Don

[Enigma]

Aside from the locations you've already mentioned, noticing the rise and fall of the abdomen is a helpful practice during mindfulness of breathing. The breath naturally settles around the navel when we are not paying attention to it, but when exerting control over the breath, this point moves further upward resulting in occasional tension. Diaphragmatic breathing, on the other hand, is immensely stress-relieving and has been associated with the "Buddha belly" that supports effortless breathing during mindfulness practice.

[Vixine]

Don, I tend to have this problem all the time, not sure why but I can very rarely breathe through my nose completely. I believe the idea is just to have some way to keep yourself more anchored on the breath. Whether it be the nostrils, the mouth, the abdomen or lungs/ribcage doesn't matter so much as long as you have some way of keeping yourself connected to the breath, if that is what you are focused on. I tend to to breathe through my nose and mouth at the same time so I tend to focus on that feeling of the cooler air coming in and warmer air going out in my nostrils and also across my tongue and the roof of my mouth.

[BioSattva]

From within the first 3 minutes of this: Jon Kabat Zinn Breathscape Guided Meditation -

"Featuring as a primary focus some region where the sensations are most vivid for you right now - that might be the abdomen.. or the nostrils... or a larger sensation of the entirety of the breath moving in or out...."

Not a perfect word-for-word transcription - I typed it as I listened.

It's a lot better than the youtube auto-transcript though - imagine if someone guided you in meditation using this:

1:53 bringing tum
1:54 mind or we might see into your heart
1:57 what the deep motivation and you're earning his for taking this time for
2:00 yourself in the first place
2:04 and as you do
2:06 gradually allowing your attention to a light champion the breath
2:10 moving in and out of the bundy
2:13 featuring as a primary focus
2:16 region in your body where the breath sensations almost did it for you right
2:20 now
2:22 that might be in the belly
2:24 where you may be experiencing the gentle ballooning out of the abdomen
2:29 on the inbred and gentle receiving of it on the opera
2:34 or attend nostrils
2:36 where actually feeling the passage of the errors comes in and out
2:40 or a larger sense of the entirety of each breath moving from the nostrils
2:44 down into the belly if you will
2:48 or anyplace else in the body that the breakfast most of that for you
2:52 and without forcing their striving or african
2:56 as best you can just gently riding the waves of your own grieving

...I often get caught up in my striving or african even when my breath is moving in and out of my bundy - mostly where my breakfast most of which for me is inbred in the opera.

Sorry, too funny not to post.

I hope the first stuff above helped, though. I think the whole term breathscape is wonderful in illustrating the intended nature of of one's attention and awareness. I have heard such a scape mentioned in Buddhism as a "neighbourhood". JKZ uses various scapes (or neighbourhoods) to allow one some 'breathing space' so to speak to accommodate peoples' different circumstances or inclinations. As long as one is aware of the sensations of breath in the moment - no matter where - that is the most important point in using the breath as an anchor in my experience. When my nostrils have been clogged or whatever, I have resorted to the mouth, but nothing beats through the nose and down into the belly for me - something which makes me even more concerned about catching colds and looking after my health.

If you suffer from hayfever then Nettle Tea is a very good 'cure' for most people it seems - like a natural antihistamine.

[JonW]

That's brilliant, Bio.

[Don]

Thanks all for very helpful replies.
I'll bear in all in mind, including the nettle tea.
You-tube autotranscript is hilarious; I hope no one out there is trying to work their way through it and make sense of it.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, its given me a lot more confidence not to get too hung up on a particular technique.

Incidentally, as a keen runner, I focus a lot of breathing when running. Not surprising I guess but it has got me wondering what the connection is between running and mindfulness.

Best,
Don