Perhaps there’s no better anchor to the present moment than your breath. No matter where you go, there you are and there it is. If you meditate, you know the value of the breath as an anchor to the present moment. Breathing mindfully invites feelings of peace and acceptance. As you accept your feelings, you no longer fight them, and as counter intuitive as this feels, it works. Accepting whatever is happening in the moment—including whatever you’re feeling—is a powerful way to quiet your secondary anxious response.

287