Breathe

What happens when you listen to your breath?  Not just in passing, but when you sit or lie in stillness and just listen?  Try it.  Lie or sit and let yourself be comfortable.  Then turn your senses inward and listen, feel, watch your breath.  Do you become anxious?  Do you find deeper rest?  Do the qualities of your breath come to awareness? 
In yoga the breath is a reflection of you mind.  Notice your breath and its qualities.  Is it diaphramatic, and through the nose?  Is your breath even from inhalation to exhalation? Can you feel it continuousness, or do you find you are holding your breath.  Is you breath smooth or jerky?  Listen to the sound of the breath, is it noisy or quiet? FInally, is your breath deep? Watch for these qualities one at a time.  Notice each quality as you feel anger, pain, joy or sorrow. 
Try this practice each day and see if your mind finds stability and strength.