No problems observing breath, as it is not something I have to visualize but rather do in "real time".

Hi Buchibabu, last year, before learning I had aphantasia, I discovered I had, since childhood, apical breathing pattern, the inception of my breathing movement was the apex of my lung. No apparent dysfunction, but I had chronic back pain, discomfort while laying on a hard surface, chronic stress, incapacity to inhale for more than 4 seconds. It is very efficient time wise but requires a lot of energy at each breath to pull the entire thorax up without using the diaphragm. After few days of intense trial and error, I have corrected the dysfunction by activating my autonomous natural breathing pattern. For me, it was simply forgetting my body all together and focus only on pull of the air from my nostril, focus all my attention on the air flowing through. I learned that you should control only the impulsion of the movement and let your body do the rest. I would suggest trying to pull the air from all the possible place (nose, mouth, throat, vocal cords, belly, thorax). Feel the difference in the movement and sensation. The one the seems the best for me is the vocal cords. As for following your breathing while meditating, I struggle for that too when I need to count the second, I prefer meditating without focusing on my breath, I focus on the sensation in my body and while having an internal discussion, maybe like me you will discover that your body is talking to you all the time, we simply have forgotten to listen.

I am totally aphantast on vision, audio and tactile. But have no problem with counting or observing in and out when I meditate. I practice zen for a year or so, sitting zazen with eyes open. And before that I meditated with closed eyes, same there... no problem with the breath. I also wonder what non aphants see when they meditate?