The breath is the energy that goes through the atoms. That way, when you breathe in and breathe out, you don’t have to fight. You don’t have to pull; you don’t have to push. It’s coming in and out through all the pores.

"If you perceive the wind or breath element as filling the body, stop and think about it. It’s your primary experience of the body — the movement of the breath. If it weren’t for this, you wouldn’t experience the body at all. The energy in the body is actually your primary experience of the body. We often feel that the solid parts of the body are a really direct experience of the body, and then the breath is something that the solid parts have to bring in and push out. If you perceive the breathing process that way, the breathing is going to be harsh. But if you think of the whole body as breath — permeated with breath — the breath can go anywhere. It’s the energy that goes through the atoms. That way, when you breathe in and breathe out, you don’t have to fight. You don’t have to pull; you don’t have to push. It’s coming in and out through all the pores."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Calming the Breath"

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