The idea of wearing a mask has become polarizing and politicized for some. As a doctor specializing in pulmonary health, I know the mask is a key part of decreasing the spread of COVID-19, along with washing hands, and maintaining six feet of distance from others. I also know the mask can be, for some, suffocating in literal and figurative senses.
The breath itself, a common anchor of attention in mindfulness practice, can be triggering. My patients, and some physicians that I lead in awareness of breath practice, tell me that focusing on their breath makes them even more anxious, and short of breath. My patients oftentimes have underlying lung disease that already takes their breath away. The sensation of air hunger, this need to take in more air, but you cannot, no matter how hard you try, is a terrifying experience. Using breath as an anchor has the potential to magnify this sensation. Perhaps even more so with a mask. And perhaps more so with the murder of George Floyd, and the dehumanizing way in which his breath was taken away.
The breath itself, a common anchor of attention in mindfulness practice, can…
