The breath is something that always gets involved with there's anger, lust, fear, sleepiness, anxiety or restlessness. The breath is always immediately relevant to whatever is going on in the mind.

"The breath is something that’s always there and always immediately relevant to whatever is going on in the mind. If there’s anger in the mind, the breath gets involved. If there’s lust, the breath gets involved. If there’s fear, the breath gets involved. When you’re sleepy, the breath gets involved. When you’re anxious, restless, the breath gets involved. And although there are times when it’s hard to grab hold of the issues going through the mind, it’s a lot easier to focus on the breath."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Hedgehog Knowledge"

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