The first time I tried the complete 10 breaths practice, I was out in my garden on a crisp February evening. I was walking along a path when I looked up and saw the crescent moon framed by the bare branches of our buckeye tree. I stopped to take in this lovely scene, and I decided to take 10 conscious breaths while looking at the moon in the branches. During those 10 breaths, I noticed that somewhere in my chest I felt nourished in a way that was new. It was a small, pleasant feeling. Then I continued on my way.
The following night, I went outside on an errand to the garage. I happened to look up and there was that crescent moon again, a little higher now, in the open sky. I stopped for just a moment—I don’t know why—and as I did, I felt a rush of feeling, as if I were greeting a dear old friend, and these words bubbled up from deep inside: “Oh, yeah. You and me, we go way back.”
That surprised me, because I had never felt such a familiar connection with the moon. Then I remembered my experience of the night before.
The 10 breaths practice is a simple way to use conscious, rhythmic breathing to help us savor life and live more fully. It is quite simple. When something good and wonderful touches us—be it a sight, a sound, or a feeling—we stop and offer it our full presence for the length of 10 breaths, so that we can really taste the experience of the moment.
If we pay close attention, we can see that opportunities for happiness, for touching life’s magnificence, present themselves many times each day. Something catches our eye; something touches our heart. Good feelings arise.
Gradually, I have trained myself to stop and experience more and more of these moments while breathing in and out 10 times. Trees, birds, flowers, even my own body have all become good friends. I have rediscovered feelings of love and wonder that had been dormant in me since childhood. I have learned ways to deepen my connections with other people. My reverence for life has grown immeasurably, and so has my gratitude.
By happiness, I am speaking of the deep, abiding happiness of contentment, connection, and fulfillment, of dwelling happily in the present moment. This is the experience of opening to the goodness and wonders of life, enjoying life deeply, and feeling viscerally connected to others, the whole of creation, and the spiritual dimension.
Many people I talk with share a deep fear that they are somehow missing life, that they are alive but are not fully experiencing life. They feel that they are getting only glimpses of life’s promise.
