Mindfulness of Breathing is universally acknowledged to be of benefit to all living in the modern world. Many feel overloaded with all that is expected of us living this complex and exhausting existence. Developing our awareness in this way is a general prescription for soothing and healing the overworked body and mind.
Practicing focusing the attention on an object such as the breath is also a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Gradually over time we are able to hold the object of our attention over longer periods, which enables us to practice other meditations such as Vipassana more successfully.