Great reminder! I always forget to slow down and focus on things like this.

You mentioned remembering to chew in the post.. I'm a self-admittedly, notoriously fast eater. I commented to @caitycat one day last year, when I was conciously trying to eat slower, something along the lines of "wow... It's amazing how much you can taste when you slow down and let the food touch your tongue".

I was only half-joking.

Breathing is definitely similar. When I first started getting moderately serious about climbing, or running, or practicing yoga, I would find myself holding my breath by accident -- effectively starving my muscles and limit myself to way below my potential.

Since paying a bit of attention to my breath, I've found that not only is my mood better, but my performance in all of the above was greatly improved (over time).