Breath · 4 minutes

Salt on the Lips

Let the wind do half the breathing.

A breath practice that only works within reach of the water. The onshore wind carries salt, and after a few minutes you can taste it. That taste is the anchor.

How to practice

Stand facing into the wind, close enough to the water that the air is damp. Mouth slightly open.

Breathe in through the mouth for a count of four. Let the wind push the air in; you are barely pulling. Notice the cold on your teeth.

Out through the nose for a count of six. Slow. The wind is against you now, so the out breath takes a little work.

After ten or twelve rounds, run your tongue across your lips. Salt. That is the wind in your body. Keep going until four minutes have passed, and every time you drift, come back to the taste.

Why it works

Long exhales settle the nervous system, and that part is standard. The taste of salt gives the wandering mind something physical to return to that is not the breath itself, which helps people who find breath counting dull or anxious.

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