Meditation Practice Day One

I sat and breathed for 15 minutes on the patio this morning.  With eyes closed, I was most aware of the sound of birds, light neighborhood traffic, a train horn, and the occasional chirping squirrel.  As I continued to breathe and let thoughts of to-do list items drift away whenever they came to mind, the next sense I had was the contrast of the cool air in my nostril and on the surface of my skin compared to the warmth of the sun penetrating deeper into my body.  With half my face in the shadow of the patio post, and the other half in the sunlight, I felt the temperature differential most keenly there.
A gentle chime sound on the timer of my iPad indicated to me that 15 minutes had passed.
I am beginning a daily contemplative practice as part of a 6-month program to become a certified coach - life coach, leadership coach, organizational coach - it could be some or all of those.  The coaching process is about deep listening and powerful questions - the opposite of my automatic tendency to offer advice and problem-solve, and talk more than listen.  In order to do that, developing my own self-awareness is crucial.  Hence the required daily contemplative practice.
I'm looking forward to where it takes me!