Try experimenting with your perception of the breath. One that I’ve found helpful is thinking of the body as a big sponge, and all the little holes and passageways and channels of the sponge are connected.

"You may have picked up some ideas about how the breath comes in, how it goes out — and what you have to do in order to bring it in, let it go out — that may not be all that helpful. So try experimenting with your perception of the breath. One that I’ve found helpful is thinking of the body as a big sponge, and all the little holes and passageways and channels of the sponge are connected, so that when you breathe in, the breath energy comes in from all directions. There’s nothing in the way. Then if you experiment with that perception and it seems to work, hold on to it. If not, you can experiment with a perception of your own devising."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Perceptions as Targets"

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