Breath Awareness with Children: Finding the Gap

The Om School kids have been working with moon phases this semester.  We're keeping journals with observations and verses for practice.  This is a fun way to keep our mindfulness practice constant and to become more aware of our interrelatedness with nature.

Because tonight is the new or dark moon, I shared this guided meditation yesterday in class.  I hope you'll enjoy it too!

"Sit comfortably with your back supported.  You can sit in a chair or on the floor.  You can even try this exercise lying down; however, this might make you sleepy!  It’s best if we stay awake during this exercise! 

Breathe normally.  Notice where you can feel your breath.  Can you feel your breath under your nose?  In your chest?  In your belly?  Place a hand on your belly and see what happens.  Do you notice your belly rising and falling?  See how your belly gets bigger with your in-breath and smaller with your out-breath.  Stay with your breathing like this for a moment.  Notice the rising and falling of breath – in and out… deep and slow… like waves on the sea.  Don’t try to control your breath.  Just notice how it feels.  It may slow down on its own.  We can call this our Ocean Breathing.
 
With your hands by your sides, continue Ocean Breathing for a minute or maybe even two. 
 
Now, let’s focus our attention on our in-breath.  As we breathe in, we can say quietly to ourselves:
“Breathing in: I am aware of my in-breath.”
 
And as we breathe out, we say:
“Breathing out: I am aware of my out-breath.”
 
Simple enough, right?  We can even shorten the phrases to:
“IN.  OUT.”
 
Let's try this a few times. 
 
Now let’s try something new.  What happens in between breathing in and breathing out?  Can you keep your attention there?  Notice that point where the in-breath transforms into the out-breath.  Notice what is there -- or what is not there.  It's sort of a gap.  

Continue breathing normally and notice the gap between the in-breath and the out-breath.  It’s like a tiny break – a beautiful rest as one thing continues into another.  It’s like the dark moon pausing in stillness before beginning anew."