The breath is a very useful object in mindfulness meditation. We breathe all the time. The breath itself is a neutral object. Mindfulness of breathing meditation works mainly through us withdrawing our attention from distracting thoughts and redirecting our attention to the physical sensations of the breath coming in and going out. By doing so, we anchor our mind to the present moment and stop it from proliferating thoughts, emotions and fantasies. It is a very simple exercise. Every time we find that our attention has wandered away from the breath, we gently let go of whatever our minds are holding on to, and return back to the breath. Over time the mind becomes calmer and our emotional states become more balanced and positive, and our experience becomes more positive. http://summitmindfulness.com/2016/04/mindfulness-of-breath/