Spaces Between Breaths Meditation

This is a meditation from my course 'Wheel of the Year: Celebrating Samhain.' During this practice, you are guided to rest your awareness on the spaces between your breaths to explore the pauses between cycles. Along with encouraging mental focus and clarity, this meditation invites your mind to enter into a peaceful, receptive state for inner exploration. If you enjoy the meditation, you might also like to listen to the whole course.
Image by Kris Møklebust

Transcript

Welcome to your meditation. Make sure that you're sitting comfortably to begin with. Sit with your spine straight and take any support that you need to feel comfortable as you meditate. And when you're ready, Close your eyes. And bring your awareness to your breath. Watch the natural flow of your breath. The air gently flowing in and out. And to begin with, Simply observe how your breath is flowing naturally today. Watch what part of your body it flows into. Whether it flows into your chest or into your abdomen. Or if it flows somewhere else. Notice the qualities of your breath. If it's fast or slow. With it shallow or deep. And for this meditation give yourself permission now to let go of the need to analyse. To let go of the need to understand anything that's happening. And to simply explore. And to enjoy your breath. Follow your breath as closely as you can. Watch the movement of your chest as you breathe in and out. The gentle expansion and contraction of your lungs. And take some time here just watching the breath flowing in and out of your body. Keep your awareness completely on your breath. If you notice that your mind drifts away. Just very gently come back to your breathing. Come back to the breath naturally flowing in and out. And now, Very gently, Move your awareness to the spaces in between the breath. At the end of each inhalation. And at the end of each exhalation. There's a short pause before the next breath begins. Bring your awareness to those pauses and rest at the pauses. Allow the breaths to happen naturally. As you rest your awareness on the pauses between the breaths. Continue watching the spaces between the breaths. If your mind drifts away. Or if you find yourself thinking about other things. Very gently bring your awareness back to the spaces between the breaths. Continue watching the spaces between the breaths. And now gently bring your breathing back to normal and take a few normal breaths here to observe how you feel after your meditation. And slowly bring your awareness back into the room, Back to the space that you're sitting in. Become aware of this surface that you're sitting on. And take one more long deep breath. And when you're ready, Slowly open your eyes. Thank you for practicing with me today.