Your breath is always with you. It is happening right now, whether you notice it or not. That makes it a handy place to rest your attention when the mind gets busy.

In week 1, you practiced paying attention on purpose with a mindful bite and a body scan. This week, in the second lesson of our free four-week mindfulness course, you learn a short sitting practice that uses the breath as an anchor.

Key points

In mindful breathing, you watch your breath as it is. You do not try to slow it, deepen it or fix it.⁴
The breath works like an anchor. When your mind drifts, you notice and gently come back to it.⁴
A wandering mind is normal. Coming back, again and again, is the practice.^4,5
Start with about 5 minutes a day and build up slowly.^3,4
If focusing on the breath makes you uneasy, you can use your feet, your hands or sounds as the anchor instead.

Why this step matters

In week 1, you moved your attention around the body. This week, you hold it in one place. Many forms of meditation work this way. They keep attention on one thing, such as a word or the breath.^1,3

The breath is a good choice because it is always in the present moment. You cannot breathe in the past or the future. Each time you return to it, you step out of worry or replay and come back to now.

The real skill is not perfect focus. It is noticing that your mind has wandered, then choosing to come back. That noticing gets easier with practice. Later lessons build on it.

Watching the breath is not a breathing exercise

This can be confusing. Some practices change how you breathe on purpose. Box breathing uses equal counts. The cyclic sigh uses long, slow breaths out.

Mindful breathing is different. You let the body breathe on its own and simply watch.⁴ If the breath is short, you notice "short." If it is uneven, you notice "uneven." You are learning to observe, not to control.

What the research shows. In a small 2023 study, just over 100 adults practiced for 5 minutes a day for a month. Some watched the breath without changing it. Others did breathing exercises. Both groups had less anxiety day to day, by about the same amount. The breathing exercises, especially the cyclic sigh, lifted mood a bit more.⁸ Promising Full 8-week mindfulness courses have stronger research behind them. See MBSR and MBCT.

Sitting practice: step by step

Allow 5 to 10 minutes. Find a place where you will not be interrupted. You may want to set a gentle timer so you do not keep checking the clock.⁴

Sit in a steady, relaxed way. Use a firm chair with both feet flat on the floor. Let your back be tall but not stiff. Rest your hands wherever they are comfortable.⁴ You can also lie down if sitting is hard for you.
Close your eyes, or lower your gaze. If closing your eyes feels uneasy, rest your eyes softly on a spot on the floor.
Settle into your body. For a few breaths, feel the contact of your feet on the floor and your body on the chair.⁴
Find the breath. Notice where you feel it most clearly. It might be the cool air at your nose, your chest rising and falling, or your belly moving in and out. Pick one spot and stay with it.
Follow each breath. Feel the breath coming in, the breath going out, and the small pause in between.⁴ Let the breath set its own pace.
When your mind wanders, note it and come back. You might notice a thought, a picture, a feeling or a body sensation. Quietly say "thinking" or "noted," then return to the breath.⁴ No need to scold yourself. This may happen dozens of times.
Finish slowly. When the time is up, stay still for a few breaths. Notice how you feel now. Then open your eyes, stretch and move gently.⁴

A simple counting aid. If your mind is very busy, silently count each breath out, from 1 to 10. Then start again at 1. If you lose count, that is fine. Just start over at 1. Counting is only a support. You can drop it once it feels easier to stay with the breath.

Free guided audio

Following a voice can help at first. These are free:

The VA Whole Health Library offers a 10-minute Mindfulness of Breathing meditation and a 10-minute Mindfulness of Sounds meditation.³
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center has a 5-minute Breathing Meditation and a 12-minute practice that moves through breath, sound and body. Versions are offered in many languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian and Tagalog.⁶
Mindfulness Coach is a free app from the VA's National Center for PTSD, open to anyone. It has guided audio, a practice log and reminders, on iPhone and Android.⁷

Your 7-day plan

Many people start with about 5 minutes and add a little time each week.^3,4 The VA notes that even 20 minutes a day may help, though the best amount is still being studied.⁴ Pick a regular time, such as after your morning coffee.

Day	Formal practice	Informal practice
1	Sitting with the breath (5 minutes)	Notice three breaths before you get out of bed
2	Sitting with the breath (5 minutes)	Take three mindful breaths before each meal
3	Sitting with the breath (7 minutes)	Notice your breath while waiting, such as at a red light or in line
4	Body scan from week 1 (10 minutes)	Notice three breaths when the phone rings, before you answer
5	Sitting with the breath (7 to 10 minutes)	Take three mindful breaths before you walk into a room
6	Sitting with the breath (10 minutes)	Choose your own moment for three breaths
7	Rest, or your favorite practice	Look back on the week

Try it this week

Do the sitting practice on at least 5 days, even if some days it is only 3 minutes.
Each day, stop for three mindful breaths at least once. It takes less than a minute.
Keep a simple log: the date, how many minutes, and one thing you noticed. A notebook or the Mindfulness Coach app works well.⁷
On day 7, ask yourself: "What pulled my attention away most often?" There is no wrong answer. Next week looks at thoughts more closely.

Tips for later life and caregivers

Make the posture fit your body. A chair with arms, a recliner or lying in bed is fine. Comfort helps you stay with the practice.
If you have lung or heart conditions. If you have COPD, asthma or heart failure, paying close attention to the breath may make you notice breathlessness more. You can use your feet on the floor or your hands in your lap as the anchor instead. Keep following your own doctor's breathing plan.
For family caregivers. Three mindful breaths can fit between tasks, even on a hard day. It is a short pause, not a fix. You still deserve real help, like respite care. See caregiver burnout.

Common problems

I can't stop trying to control my breath.

This is very common. Just watching the breath can feel strange at first. If you notice yourself controlling it, note "controlling" and let go as best you can. It often settles on its own with practice.

My mind wanders after one or two breaths.

That is normal for everyone, not a sign of failure.^4,5 Each time you notice and come back, you strengthen the skill. Try the counting aid above, or shorten the practice to 3 minutes.

Paying attention to my breathing makes me anxious.

Some people, including those with panic attacks or past trauma, feel uneasy watching the breath. Open your eyes and switch your anchor to sounds in the room, your feet on the floor or your hands. Grounding is another gentle choice. Read more about panic attacks.

Safety and when to get help

Mindfulness is low risk for most people. Still, in a review of 83 studies, about 1 in 12 people (8%) had an unpleasant effect, most often anxiety or low mood.² Some beginners feel upset as hard feelings or memories come up.⁴ You can always open your eyes, shorten a practice or stop.

People with PTSD, psychosis, hallucinations or severe mental illness do best practicing with a skilled teacher or therapist.^3,4 Mindfulness does not replace care you need, and it should not delay seeing a doctor about a health problem.² Do not stop any medicine because you started practicing. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before changing anything.

If practice leaves you feeling much worse, or if low mood or worry gets in the way of daily life for more than a couple of weeks, talk with a doctor or therapist. See finding a therapist.

If you have thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. It is free, confidential and open 24/7.⁹ Call 911 if you have chest pain, severe trouble breathing, or if you or someone else is in danger right now. You can also visit get help now.

Next lesson: Mindfulness week 3: watching thoughts. Or go back to week 1 or the mindfulness overview.

Sources

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know. NIH, 2022. NCCIH
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and mindfulness: effectiveness and safety. NIH, 2022. NCCIH
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Meditation. Whole Health Library, accessed October 2026. VA
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Mindful awareness. Whole Health Library, accessed October 2026. VA
NIH News in Health. Mindfulness for your health. National Institutes of Health, 2021. NIH
UCLA Health Mindful Awareness Research Center. Free guided meditations. UCLA Health, accessed October 2026. UCLA Health
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Mindfulness Coach. VA, accessed October 2026. VA
Balban MY, et al. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Rep Med, 2023. PMC
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Home page. 988lifeline.org, accessed October 2026. 988 Lifeline

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.