One of the most effective small rituals for developing awareness is also one of the easiest. Five breaths is the practice of proactively taking five deep breaths as you shift your focus and energy in a new direction. Whether we’re redirecting from one task to another, one conversation to another, or even one form of entertainment to another, all experiences benefit when we immerse ourselves in awareness of the moment through five breaths. The practice of conscious and active breathing is ancient. The word nirvana literally translates to “blow out.”37 Release the breath and with it the present focuses occupying the mind. Embracing the small ritual of five breaths helps bridge the gap between our knowledge of our core value of awareness and our ability to apply it in meaningful directions.
Breathing is our anchor to the moment. Practicing intentional awareness through active breathing helps us reset and redirect our focus and energy in the moment. Consider the practice through the lens of the single truth. Our perpetual inhabiting of the immediate present is always burdened by distractions past and present. We have a frustrating day at work and the negative energy follows us home. We project past burdens into our immediate present, often towards unrelated circumstances and individuals. At times we find ourselves so overwhelmed with possibility that it becomes difficult to focus on anything specific. In these circumstances and more, the individual finds themselves out of alignment with the single truth.
Five breaths is a practice of grounding ourselves in the immediate present. In combination with the practice of meditation, the small ritual of five breaths acts as a recallable clarity that helps drive individual awareness to our power of choice within the moment. Practicing five breaths helps cultivate calmness and reinforces our practice of detachment. It helps us avoid being caught up in the flow of the moment and maintain the role of directing observers. As a small ritual, it is easy to incorporate and practice; over time, it becomes a ritual we engage in proactively and reactively.
Any deep breathing exercise is beneficial so long as it is practiced often. I have found five breaths to be ideal, but you may prefer an alternative number. Five breaths require too much effort to be mindless in its practice but does not require so much focus that it becomes burdensome or distracting from our original intent. Taking five breaths helps us view the moment anew, bringing into focus our being here and now. The habit also supports thoughtful action according to the systems of meaning and value we embrace. It is much easier to avoid directing focus and energy on wasteful or harmful practices when we are actively aware of the immediate present. Five breaths is a simple and widely applicable practice. It is a small ritual that helps us reinforce our core values of awareness, equity, relation, enthusiasm, and courage within the moment.
