Breath awareness means noticing how you are breathing without immediately trying to make the breath perform a particular pattern.
You may notice pace, effort, movement, a pause or the way your breathing changes around a thought.
Before the brave sentence, there may be a very small held breath.
You prepare to say what you need. Your chest becomes still. You smile. You add, "But honestly, it’s fine."
Noticing the breath doesn’t explain everything about the moment. It can help you catch a part of the response you usually miss.
In a guided practice, you can let the breath be comfortable and follow the particular instructions. There is no prize for forcing a deeper breath or continuing when something feels wrong. Eyes open, a change of posture or ordinary attention to the room may suit you better.
Body awareness includes other physical details. Pacing asks how much of an experience is useful to stay with today.
NCCIH’s Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety introduces attention practices and their limits. It is useful background when breath awareness has been presented as though one technique must suit every person and every moment.