BY SANDRA GUY

If any time in world history has brought us back to the basics, it’s been the past 20 months.

Who would have thought that the most basic aspect of our lives — breathing — would become such a hot topic that a book, “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (2021),” by James Nestor, would make The New York Times’ best-seller list?

Have you ever stopped to think that proper breathing pours healthy oxygen into your bloodstream, increases your circulation and boosts your immune system?

Whether you’re rolling your eyes at this point, or you’re enchanted and want to know more, consider that one answer could be meditation — and you can start with simple steps.

The key is consistency. Once you start practicing meditation techniques, keep at it. If you’re truly intentional, you can make it a habit after 30 days.

Here’s one way to develop your meditation skills. The next time you catch yourself ruminating on something:

* Close your eyes and think about what you’re obsessing over.

* Picture a computer screen, with your hand on a mouse or track pad. Direct the arrow to the topic in your imagination and click on it.

* Imagine dragging that item to your Trash folder. Literally see it get sucked into the digital trash bin.

* Now hit Empty Trash.

* Imagine a blank page appearing on the screen, and breathe.

* If a pop-up of the topic reappears, simply view, drag to Trash and repeat.

You might also want to order, download or pick up a copy of the book, “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (2021).”

Don’t be surprised to learn that most of us fail to breathe optimally. So what better way to give yourself a holistic holiday gift?