Meditation on space is added to mindful breathing exercises to cultivate the qualities of happiness:

1. The flower, to restore freshness.
2. The mountain, to realize solidity.
3. Still water, to reflect things as they are without wrong perceptions.
4. Space, to feel free.

Inner and outer space is essential to breathe and be happy. Anger, sorrow, and jealousy clutter our being, while freedom allows us to love by offering space to the other. What we consume — what we eat, what we drink, what we listen to, what we watch — can nourish this space or take it away. In order to preserve this calm, telephone meditation invites us to breathe mindfully three times to restore our freshness before making a call, and to wait for the third ring while breathing before picking up.

The verb to be always implies being something, just as consciousness is always consciousness of something. Contrary to the statement “I think, therefore I am,” getting lost in thoughts, regrets about the past, or worries about the future prevents us from being truly present. Mindfulness consists of bringing our attention back to a single object in the here and the now, whether it is the breath, walking, or the wonders of life such as the sunset, the blue sky, cherry blossoms, or a child. The concepts of vitakka, initial thought, and vicara, applied thought, help maintain this concentration to pierce the veil of ignorance and dissolve suffering through insight.