Compare patterns of tension on your left and right sides as you breathe in and out

"Survey how all the different parts of the body feel with the in-breath, with the out-breath, all the way through the in-breath, all the way through the out-. If you notice any patterns of tension, allow them to relax and keep them relaxed all the way through the breathing cycle.

If you have trouble figuring out which parts of the body are more tense than others, you might compare your left to your right side, because all of us tend to hold more tension in one side of the body than in the other. Sometimes it’s counterintuitive. There may be a sense of pain or stress in one side of the body, but actually that side of the body is overcompensating for a problem in the other side. So try to explore these patterns of tension in your body. When you can sense them and relax them, make it your sport, make it a game. You’re playing at keeping those parts relaxed even as you breathe in, even as you breathe out. You’ll find that this game opens whole huge areas of the breath energy in the body."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Why Train the Mind"

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