This week's trend: Breath Awareness

I've been thinking too much lately: what things do I have due tomorrow? what should I be doing now? or should I be doing something else? how do I achieve my goals? what if I cant? what should I do next? and what about time for my friends? blah blah...

I've been thinking too much to the point of getting overwhelmed by my thoughts and even defeated by them at times. So how to stop this constant thinking that is taking me nowhere good?

--> One way of doing this is to take a few minutes to be aware of my breathing and in that way I create gaps in the stream of thinking and bring myself back to the present moment...

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"Being aware of your breathing takes attention away from thinking and creates space...

Be aware of your breathing. Notice the sensation of the breath. Feel the air moving in and out of you body. Notice how the chest and abdomen expand and contract slightly with the in-and outbreath. One conscious breath is enough to make some space where before there was the uninterrupted succession of one thought after another... 

Being aware of you breath forces you into the present moment--the key to all inner transformation. Whenever you are conscious of the breath, you are absolutely present. You may also notice that you cannot think and be aware of your breathing. Conscious breathing stops your mind. But far from being in a trance or half asleep, you are fully awake and highly alert..."

(A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle)