Try to expand your repertoire of new ways of thinking about the breath. You can improve your relationship with the breath by allowing yourself to imagine it.

"One of [Ajaan Fuang's] students was commenting one time on how he was on a bus ride. He’d had trouble getting to stay with the breath up to that point, but for some reason that day everything seemed to click. As he later told Ajaan Fuang, the breath became delicious. So from that point on every time Ajaan Fuang taught him meditation, he would say, “Okay, get so your breath is delicious again.” What would your delicious breath be like? What would taste really good, what would sound really good, what would smell really good, in terms of the breathing? Try to expand your repertoire of new ways of thinking about the breath.

Some of the experiments may not work, but you never know until you try. So as you’re meditating, if you find yourself getting stuck in old ruts — dealing with the breath in the same old ways and getting the same old results — remind yourself that you can change. You can improve your relationship with the breath by allowing yourself to imagine it."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Imagine Your Breath"

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