Consider, for a moment, riding a bicycle.

There is the person riding the bicycle, and there is the bicycle itself. They are separate things. And yet, when used together, movement becomes smooth, efficient, even freeing. You find a rhythm. You get where you want to go.

The same is true of our breath and our awareness—two inborn faculties that often run on autopilot, usually operating independently of each other.

For most of our lives, breath simply functions to keep enough oxygen flowing through the body to keep us moving. It adjusts automatically according to the workload we place ourselves under.

Think of the difference between sitting on the couch and climbing a mountain. Your breathing changes dramatically, yet its role remains simple: to help you keep moving and get where you want to go.

Then there is awareness - our attention.

Like breath, our awareness is often governed by forces outside our control: the next thought that pops into our head, which leads to the next one; the quick snippets of videos on our phones; the ever-growing to-do list waiting in the background.

Our awareness is easily captured by whatever arises in consciousness—a thought, a notification, a worry about tomorrow—and before we know it, we are fully caught up in it.

Keeping with our analogy, awareness is like the person who hasn’t yet gotten on the bicycle. They are still doing everything required of them: going to work, making dinner, listening to podcasts, working out, moving through a normal day.

But something shifts when awareness intentionally joins the breath.

Breath and awareness move from operating independently to working together, opening possibilities that aren’t available when the two remain separate.

How Breath and Awareness Affect the Nervous System

Often, when breath and awareness come together, the nervous system begins to shift from tension and protection toward safety and regulation. And this shift can meaningfully change how we experience both stress and pain.

Something new and steady emerges—much like when a person gets on a bike. The exact path may be unknown, but your legs flow to keep you moving. You attend to potholes, avoid passersby and cars, take necessary turns, and notice the smell of the air.

You are present with what is in front of you.

When we sit and become intentionally and nonjudgmentally aware of the breath, the same thing begins to happen. We notice the natural flow of breathing. Thoughts still arise, but we meet them with awareness rather than getting pulled into them.

We are simply here, not trying to get anywhere except this very moment.

Breath and awareness, when coupled together, become a kind of built-in technology that helps us navigate the twists and turns of life, much like riding a bike.

Meditation isn’t about bypassing thoughts or forcing the mind to go quiet. Instead, we notice thoughts as they pass, with friendliness and curiosity rather than judgment.

By cultivating this awareness, anchored in the breath, through even a brief daily practice, we begin to live more in the present moment, open to the winding and unpredictable path life takes us on.

A Simple Breath Practice to Try Today

If you’d like to try this, start simply: once or twice a day, pause for 30–60 seconds and feel one full inhale and one full exhale. There’s nothing to change or fix—just notice.

And when your attention wanders, gently bring it back. No judgment needed.

So I invite you to ride your bike a couple of times each day. Join your awareness to your breath.

And when you fall off the bike (when you get distracted) simply hop back on and see what you discover.

If you’re working through persistent pain or stress and want support learning how to use these tools in daily life, this is something we work with every day at Mindful Motion Physical Therapy.