Knowing where you are in relation to these three conditions is itself cultivation of the path. In regard to the method of counting breaths, along with the consciously directed act of counting, you will naturally develop a simultaneous awareness that knows you are counting. This awareness is illumination. It should be present no matter which method you use. I should make clear that illumination is not concentration.
Concentration demands energy, but illumination is effortless.
It rises of its own accord as a natural part of the method. It is like a mother who is busy doing something while her child plays nearby. Although she is not watching the child directly, she is always aware of where the child is and what the child is doing. After you have spent considerable time practicing a method and have become familiar with it, illumination will be so strong that you will no longer be aware of external stimuli. You will be close to that level beyond awareness of space and time, when thoughts are minimal and the body ceases to be a burden.