Breath Issues During Meditation

[wingsofwax]

 

I've been meditating daily for some months now and have developed some issues with my breathing during meditation.

I did some yoga exercises that caused some ribcage muscle pain (intercostal muscle pain), which caused breathing to be painful. This made my breathing during meditation erratic, since the body would try to avoid expanding the painful parts of the ribcage.

The pain has almost gone now, but I am left with a breath that is irregular. I went through a period where I couldn't help try to control the breath instead of simply watching it, which is still an issue that needs work. I still tend to focus to intensely on the breathing instead of simply being aware of it.

My plan is to let it be and simply let the breathing correct itself over time, but I wanted to hear if anyone else have had this problem, and if there are some tips that could help me. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks.

 

[Seeker_of_truth]

About 2 years ago I went through a similar problem. I practiced focus on breathing meditation but what I did is that I controlled my breath instead of just being aware and that caused some pain in the chest whenever I inhaled for some days. I didn't have any changed breathing pattern though. Then I totally stopped doing meditation for 1/2 an year. So what I think can be done is that you completely forget the breath until you think you can go back to it. Meanwhile I think you can try some other techniques. 

I've read that with concentration, your breathing pattern changes to become deep and slow. So I think to correct your irregular breath you can try some concentration exercises. Needless to say don't have breath itself as the concentration target as you have problems with controlling it instead of just watching.

 

Btw, what yoga exercise do you think caused it ?

Edited June 29, 2017 by Seeker_of_truth

[wingsofwax]

Thanks, Seeker_of_truth, that was helpful. I knew I couldn't be the only one having this kind of issue with the breath.

Focusing on other objects than the breath does help, although it is a temporary measure, since the breath is such a powerful object to meditate on. I did some pulse counting, which was very powerful, and also some "egg timer metronome"-meditation, where I was counting the ticks of an egg timer. That took me out of my head and away from the breath quite effectively, but it didn't really work that well for anything else.

I think the solution is simply to accept the discomfort and associated worry and integrate it into the meditation. Hopefully it will resolve itself soon.

The yoga exercise was the sun salutation - done badly by an eager amateur (me)   

[Seeker_of_truth]

@wingsofwax I hear sadhguru say a lot of times that its very important to do yoga correctly. Especially those yoga that are said to involve your energy body. Sun salutation is definitely one of them. If you are interested in yoga, you should visit sadhguru's website and his youtube channel. There are a few yogas which are taught in those youtube videos which are safe to do without initiation. You can try those if you are interested. The only people whom I know that teach proper yoga are sadhguru's isha yoga foundation. There are many people who claim to be yoga teachers but for most of them their knowledge is questionable. So be careful.

[Nahm]

@wingsofwax the idea is to witness that you are being breathed, your heart is being beaten, your cells are being divided - the higher you is doing these.  The self is a tiny factor and eventually is seen for what it is- nothing.   made up. 

Edited June 30, 2017 by Nahm

[Leo Gura]

@wingsofwax Sounds like you have an issue with control. The do-nothing technique would be good for you. You gotta learn to fully let go.

Mindfulness of the breath is a very distinct thing from deep breathing. It's hard at first to just watch without manipulating it. Ego loves to manipulate everything.