breathing awareness is causing me problems

[soulreaper]

hi Mr. bruce
its nice to ask you question directly
from the day i decided to meditate.....i have always seen people suggesting the vipasana meditation(breathing awareness)........which you have also suggested in your book astral dynamics......
from the day i tried this meditation........i felt that this meditation is not for me....i have dropped doing this meditation so many times and again started just because people keep praising about it.....once i dropped it and i read a comment on some forum that its the most powerful and easy meditation.....it makes our mind like calm ocean......so i thought to start it again....i forced myself to do the breathing awareness meditation because so many people appreciate it......even though i could feel its not for me
i did it around 1 week and started having some breathing problems in daily life like shallow breathing...and it felt like its stuck.....i find myself breathing shallow and than i have to force myself to breath deeply to feel better.......i dont know for sure that these problems are because of breathing awareness meditation....but i think/feel it is the cause
so my question is......can i use any other technique besides breathing awareness.......i mean if i work according to your book/90 day guide......can i replace breathing awareness technique with other technique..........
like can i focus on my heart beat or third eye instead of breath
other suggestions are welcome too from your side.....
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and one more question
can i replace your relaxation technique with any other relaxation technique(like Shavasana of yoga), if i want.....?
and suppose i wanna modify your relaxation technique by merging other technique or steps.....should i do it......?
i hope you got it what i am trying to say
thanks

[Robert Bruce]

G'day,

I have never heard of problems with the breath awareness method I teach. It is very simple. You do not hold your breath or change your breathing at all...you simply observe the movement of your stomach muscles as you breathe.

An alternative is to focus on your nose tip and be aware of the air passing there.

Focusing on your heartbeat will also work.

If you are having shallow breathing episodes during the day, and at night, and sometimes stopping breathing, this might be symptoms of sleep apnea. If you sometimes wake up at night gasping for breath, this could be the case. If so, you should consult a medical doctor because this can be dangerous, and is easily treated.

If is fine to mix and match other techniques with what I teach. The most important thing is to find what works for you, so you will do the practices.

Robert