In my sitting practice I usually devote long time to total physical and mind relaxation. I have good sitting position so I enter in absorbed states very pleasant (I have read a lot about jhana, but don´t know the actual level... and it doesn´t matter for this topic).
My goal is always to try to surrender as much I can to the way and rate of breathing the body wishes...that is: let every inhalation and exhalation and pauses (if there are) to be like the body wants with the least level of interference (it is not easy!! but I do it  at good level for later some insight practices I work in)... loosening tension like Vimalaramsi approach.

I read that in deep meditation the ventilation rate (breaths per minute) is 4-8.

I am breathing less than 3 times per minute (let´s say almost 3 cycles per minute, very soft and shallow)

Any feedback? Anyone wants to check his rate?

Greetings


Gre

It's something I pay attention to.  At the end of a session I'll sometimes measure my respiration. It gets to maybe a little less than 4 breaths a minute (3.75 for example).

I think not interfering with an intuitive speed of breath is essential for meditation. Sometimes for me that is very slow with long pauses in between, but mostly a calm, normal frequency. I found the danger in actively slowing down the breath is to either induce a trance state or loosing energy which leads to less concentration. Yes, for jhanas you want absorption, but for insight practice a calm and clear mind is essential, so if that is the case for you while mantaining this slow breath rate I see no hindrances to get good results this way.

Greetings

Yes. That is the case. I don´t actively try to slow down the breath. I only "try" to let the body inhale and exhale free (this task is very interesting and difficult to attain...there is a subtle desire to mantain certain control).
With this slow rate my mind is very clear, like metacognitive (according to Culadasa)

I may have a problem here. My natural breathing rate in a calm state is about 8-10 per minute and this thread states way lower rates (3-4!!!). Am I doing something wrong? Do I have a lung condition or anything else to make me breath way faster than you guys?
Of course, I can slow down my breath, but that would be an interference with my natural rate. What should I do?