Begin this meditation simply allowing sounds to come into your awareness.
Jumping to search for sounds,
Just waiting for their arrival.
Noticing the dimension in the sound,
Rhythm,
Volume,
Tempo,
Pitch.
And as you start to settle in with the sounds,
Noticing your body's positioning.
Noticing where you're making contact.
And then begin to draw your awareness to your breath,
Just noticing where you sense your breath.
Do you feel the cool sensations of the breath being drawn in?
And then the warmer sensations when I let the breath out?
Do you notice the breath traveling down through your throat,
Your chest,
Filling up around your stomach,
Your diaphragm.
Always keeping in mind that you're changing with each and every breath.
And the world around you is changing with each and every breath.
There is a sense of freedom in breath awareness.
Breath can be quite involuntary.
And then you may choose to control your breath.
Drawing in a deeper breath and letting the breath out even more intentionally and slowly.
You may count each breath.
If that helps you focus and tune in.
In breath one.
Out breath one.
And to further your breath awareness,
See if you can gently tune into the space,
The pause,
The rest between each breath.
Notice that rise in your body and that pause.
Notice as you let out each breath,
The breath of relaxation.
See if you notice again your body coming to rest at the end of the out breath.
Resting deeper in its position.
Tuning into that pause and that rest.
See if you can conjure up images or language that you'd like to put into that space between each breath.
It could be as simple as peace or contentment.
Compassion or self-compassion.
Maybe just space itself.
Words like may I be safe in this moment.
Whatever may serve you,
See if you can experiment with the rests between each breath.
And bringing yourself some grace.
Begin to notice again the positioning of your body.
Just noticing where you're making contact.
Begin to draw in again the sounds around you.
And when you hear the sound of the bell,
May gently open your eyes.
