Anapanasati (Forced Breathing) Is the breath all important? I know that the breath conditions the body, in that the breath tranquilizes the body, but often I read about NOT volitionally breathing in and out and this is exactly what I am doing. Can I use an alternative object or even open monitorin, that is many objects in a succession?
The breathing naturally arises as a "sign" that the mind has right mindfulness &amp; right concentration. If a meditator aspires to fulfill the 16 stages of Anapansati, they should never seek to observe the breathing &amp; never be concerned about the breathing. The Buddha taught his path is the abandoning of craving. The meditator should only watch the mind; to ensure the mind is free from craving. 

An analogy is a mother hen sitting on eggs hoping for the eggs to hatch. All the mother hen does is sit on the eggs, to keep the eggs warm &amp; safe. In time, the chicks inside the eggs will hatch the eggs. The mother hen does not use a hammer or her beak to crack open the eggs. 

Similarly, the more the mind thinks about watching breathing, the less the mind will watch the breathing. This is because thinking cannot watch breathing because what watches breathing is consciousness. 

Using thinking to watch breathing is the same as a mother hen using her beak to crack open the eggs. It is the wrong method &amp; will only harm the chicks.