Welcome,
My friend,
I'm so grateful you're here.
Right now,
Wherever you are,
In your bed,
In the park,
In the quiet before dawn,
Take a slow breath in with me,
Feel the air enter your body,
Exhale slowly,
Relax your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Anywhere you are holding tension.
Send your loving breath right there.
Breathe with me now,
Two gentle inhales in,
One long,
Lingering exhale out.
Perfect,
It goes like this,
Almost like you're topping off your inhale.
Perfect,
Keep it going,
With each inhale,
Feel your spine rise.
With each exhale,
Feel yourself soften,
Breathe as though you're sitting at the edge of the world,
Where earth meets sky,
Where the veil between this realm and the next is thinnest.
You are safe,
Supported,
Held,
So you can let go of any gripping and just be.
We so rarely pause to feel how fragile and miraculous life really is.
Most of us rush,
Accumulate,
Postpone,
As though we'll live forever,
But life is not forever my friend,
Life is in this breath,
This very one.
Take one last slow breath in.
The 14th Dalai Lama wrote,
Most of us dislike thinking about our own death.
We spend our lives amassing possessions or embarking on endless projects,
As though we live forever,
As though it was not absolutely certain that one day,
Tomorrow perhaps,
Or even the next moment,
We will leave everything behind.
Let the truth of impermanence soften you,
Not scare you.
Let it dare you to live more,
More bold,
More courageous,
More alive.
After all,
Life is short,
So why waste time?
Why barter your soul for what feels safe,
For what pleases the masses,
For what keeps you small?
Don't ask logic,
Don't ask what's acceptable or expected of you.
Let your heart set the pace,
Not the pull of the crowd.
Picture yourself at the end of your marvelous journey,
Looking back,
No titles,
No possessions,
No trophies,
You can't take any of it with you.
So,
What you're left with are the questions.
Did you burn?
Did you rise?
Did you live as if your heart was the only compass that mattered?
Breathe in what sets you on fire.
Breathe out what keeps you small.
Whisper to yourself,
Life is short,
Sacred,
Wild,
I will not waste it.
Life is short,
Sacred,
I'd like to take you somewhere special with me.
Envision yourself walking across a dusty plain at sunset.
The air is serene,
The sky painted with countless hues of pink and gold,
As the slowly sinking sun sets the horizon aflame.
Ahead of you stands a wooden temple,
No walls,
Just beams reaching skyward like hands lifted in prayer towards the heavens.
As you move closer,
You notice every plank etched with names,
Prayers,
Confessions.
As you step through the open beams and into its heart,
The atmosphere inside is heavy with incense,
Tears,
Music,
Thousands of whispers surround you,
Grief,
Eternity.
Everywhere you look,
Offerings,
Photos,
Letters,
Belongings,
Some part of you recognizes this place.
It's a temple of impermanence,
Regardless of your faith or religion.
It's a sanctuary for what we've lost,
And a mirror for what we still carry within us.
As you wander,
You notice a scroll with some words that pierce you right open.
It reads,
Why waste time doing what doesn't light you up when death is laughing from the corner?
Let those words echo.
Why waste time doing what doesn't light you up when death is laughing from the corner?
Why?
Now imagine turning behind you,
And immediately you freeze.
There,
Standing right in front of you,
Is a loved one who has passed on.
Maybe a friend,
A family member,
Someone you admire that has made their transition.
Perhaps you see more than one person.
Simply welcome whoever comes to mind,
Even if you've never met them in the physical.
Trust what you see,
And allow whatever feelings to arise.
Meeting them with gentleness.
You realize this meeting is not an accident.
It's a summoning,
A reminder that the soul never dies.
That love doesn't end,
It merely changes forms.
Take a moment to embrace them fully.
Understand that on some deep level,
They are always what is it they want to tell you.
Listen.
You may wish to place your hands on your heart for this.
Ask.
What is it you want to tell me?
What do I need to know?
Amidst these holy temple walls,
Feel the presence of all those you've lost.
Hold them all in your heart,
And vow to honor their lives by living yours fully.
Ask yourself gently,
What am I postponing?
What am I clinging to that keeps me small?
If I had one year left,
How would I live differently?
If I had one day left,
How would I love?
You don't have to have all the answers now.
Just let the questions burn through you,
Clearing what is left.
What is false,
So truth can take root.
Ask,
What is my deepest truth?
What is my deepest truth?
For aloud,
Repeat after me.
I honor the fragility and sacredness of life.
I release what no longer lights me up.
I live bravely,
Unapologetically,
From my heart.
I am a burning soul,
Alive,
Awake,
Ablaze.
The soul never dies.
Again,
Root these powerful affirmations into every cell of your being.
I honor the fragility and sacredness of life.
I release what no longer lights me up.
I live bravely,
Unapologetically,
From my heart.
I am a burning soul,
Alive,
Awake,
Ablaze.
Love never ends.
The soul never dies.
And so it is.
Join me for three final breaths to seal it all in.
Inhale light.
Inhale courage.
Exhale doubt.
Hold.
As you return from this inward journey,
Carry this reminder.
Each and every sunrise is both a countdown and a gift.
After all,
We never really know just how many we have left.
So make them matter,
With those you love and who light your soul on fire.
Live.
Love.
Burn.
Live.
Because when this journey ends,
Only one question will remain.
Did you live as if love was your true north?
My hope is that your heart gently guides you towards that yes.
All you have to do is listen.
Thank you so much for sharing your precious time and energy with me.
I'm so deeply honored to be welcomed into your heart and mind in this way.
If this meditation touched you,
I'd love to hear about your experience.
And if it feels right,
Please do share it with others.
It helps me continue to grow and offer more.
From my heart to yours,
Wana
