Death Meditation & Talk: Impermanence & Acceptance

So the subject of death,

The subject of death is a very deep inquiry,

Very personal,

Very collective,

Very raw,

And the ultimate truth.

Something that we each are given every single day that we forget is life.

Every morning we wake up if we're lucky and every morning we breathe and we make breakfast and we begin our errands and we move about the world and in that moment like a fish in the sea,

Like a fish in the ocean,

We are unaware of the water that we exist in,

The ocean that we swim in,

And as humans the consciousness that we embody.

It's the one thing,

It's the one thing that's so intangible and so vital that each and every one of us have every day that we wake up and we inhabit form and that we rarely reflect on and that we simply expect that we'll consistently be given,

Be given,

Be given,

Be given,

Be given,

And ultimately setting aside the reality that this is the greatest gift that we can be given is the opportunity to wake up and to breathe and to be and to exist in human form,

To identify with a name,

To attach to possessions and things and experiences and people,

All of that,

Everything that we have,

Everything that we experience,

Everything that we love requires that we live.

And so every single day when we wake up and we are given life,

This is such a precious gift and it is so unseen and untouched and I believe that a large part of our suffering has to go with how little we reflect on what a beautiful gift that is.

If I am a mother or a father or a co-worker or a best friend,

In order to be that best friend,

That mother,

That father,

That collaborator,

That facilitator,

That yogi,

The meditator,

Life has to move through my body,

Consciousness has to inhabit my form,

And that comes from an intangible force that many of us have contemplations about and beliefs,

But that none of us factually and objectively know.

This intangible force that permeates the entire human experience,

The unseen,

The profound great mystery of life,

Is wild.

So we forget,

We forget,

And more so not even forgetting,

We rarely remember each day what a precious gift that is.

It's not even in the forgetting,

It's the remembering of what a gift that is.

And so in this talk and this invitation,

This meditative space today,

I encourage you to close the eyes down,

To find a seat to sit up nice and tall,

To breathe in and out of the nostrils,

To close the eyes,

And to inhabit the form that is a gift to you that you will one day give back.

One day the very essence of you,

The one past the belief systems,

The one past the somatic sensations,

The essence of being,

The field of presence that embodies your form,

Will return,

Will depart somewhere unknown and in uncertainty,

But in this moment life courses through you,

In this moment you are alive,

In this moment.

Close the eyes,

Be in the breath body,

Feel,

Tune in,

Sense in your being the life that inhabits you.

In a bit we will experience an aspect of Isha Kriya meditation,

Where you simply inhale and internally in the mind you tell yourself,

I am NOT this body.

And on the exhalation you say to yourself,

I am NOT even this mind.

On the inhale,

I am NOT this body.

On the exhale,

I am NOT even this mind.

But for now,

Just soften the mind,

Soften the muscles in the forehead,

The muscles around the jaw,

And soften the shoulders,

And soften the belly.

Truly inhabit your body with this vital life force energy that's been gifted to you today.

You are one of the lucky ones.

And I will begin to say phrases that you can repeat in your own mind.

And each phrase will be for the inhale and then the exhale.

Soften your body as you receive the words,

Let them move through you,

Repeat them in the mind.

Soften the body and feel the vital force energy in your body and remind yourself,

In this moment I am alive.

So we begin there,

Inhale,

In this moment I am alive.

Exhale,

In this moment I am alive.

Inhale,

In this moment I am alive.

Exhale,

In this moment I am alive.

Inhale,

I know I am not just my body.

Exhale,

I know that I am unconditional love.

Inhale,

I know I am not just this body.

And exhale,

I know I am unconditional love.

Continue to inhale and exhale.

I know that I am not just my sore throats.

Let the body soften.

Notice where the mind goes in silence and stillness.

Again,

Allow softening.

On the inhale,

I know that I will become sick at some point in my life.

On the exhale,

I know that my life is temporal.

On the inhale,

I know that if I am lucky,

I will begin to age.

On the exhale,

I know that I will lose the people that I love.

On the inhale,

I know in this moment,

Though,

I am alive.

On the exhale,

I can feel energy coursing through my body.

Inhale,

I am grateful for the life force that inhabits me.

On the exhale,

I know that one day I will have to return this body.

On the inhale,

I am grateful for this moment.

On this exhale,

Everything is temporary.

Inhale,

I am alive.

Exhale,

I am healthy.

Inhale,

I am alive.

Exhale,

I am healthy.

Inhale,

I know I am not this body.

Exhale,

I am not even this mind.

Inhale,

I am not this body.

Exhale,

I am not even this mind.

Inhale,

I am not this body.

Exhale,

I am not even this mind.

Inhale,

I am not this body.

Exhale,

I am not even this mind.

Inhale,

I am not this body.

Exhale,

I am not even this mind.

Inhale,

But in this moment,

I have a body.

Exhale,

In this moment,

I have a mind.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I have a body.

Exhale,

In this moment,

I have a mind.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am alive.

Exhale,

In this moment,

I am grateful.

Inhale,

I am love.

Exhale,

I am alive.

Inhale,

I am love.

Exhale,

I am alive.

Inhale,

I am love.

Exhale,

I am alive.

Inhale,

I am love.

Exhale,

I am alive.

Inhale,

I know that I will face the death of my loved ones.

Exhale,

I know that I will face my own death.

Inhale,

I know that I will face the death of my loved ones.

Exhale,

I know I will face my own death.

Inhale,

I know I will face the death of my loved ones.

Exhale,

I know that I will face my own death.

Inhale,

I know I will face the death of my loved ones.

Exhale,

I know I will face my own death.

Inhale,

I know I will face the death of my loved ones.

And exhale,

I know I will face my own death.

Inhale,

But in this moment,

I am grateful for my loved ones and their life.

On the exhale,

In this moment,

I am alive and well.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am grateful for the life of my loved ones.

Exhale,

In this moment,

I am grateful for my own life.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am grateful for the life of my loved ones.

Exhale,

In this moment,

I am grateful for my own life.

Inhale,

I know that it is in human nature to face death.

Exhale,

I choose to face my fear of death and find gratitude.

Inhale,

I know it is in human nature to die.

Exhale,

I am grateful to face my fear of death and to live well.

Inhale,

I know it is in human nature to die.

Exhale,

I am grateful to face death and to live well.

Inhale,

I know it is in human nature to die.

Exhale,

I have gratitude for facing my fear of death so that I may live well.

Inhale and exhale here naturally for a few rounds of breath.

Soften the body,

Tune into the vital force energy that permeates from you.

Tall and proud in the spine,

Soft and receptive in the face.

Tender yet fortified.

Sensitive yet strong.

Courageous yet vulnerable.

Inhale,

I am alive.

Exhale,

I am alive.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am full of vital force energy.

Exhale,

I will take that energy and live well.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am full of vital force energy.

Exhale,

May I live my life well.

Inhale,

In this moment,

I am full of vital force energy.

Exhale,

May I live well.

Inhale,

It is in human nature to die.

Exhale,

I will live my life well.

Inhale,

It is in human nature to die.

Exhale,

I will live my life well.

Inhale,

I will too die one day.

Exhale,

But in this moment,

I am full of life.

Inhale,

I too will die one day.

Exhale,

But today,

I am full of life.

Inhale,

I too will die one day.

Exhale,

But today,

I see the preciousness of my human life.

Inhale,

Gratitude.

Exhale,

Fear.

Inhale,

Gratitude.

Exhale,

Fear.

Inhale,

Gratitude.

Exhale,

Fear.

Inhale,

Gratitude.

Exhale,

Fear.

Return to just regular breath in and out of the nostrils.

Soften the body.

Notice any contraction or tension that comes up when facing your mortality or fear of death.

Soften and tune into your vital force energy in this moment.

You are alive.

I am alive.

We are alive.

If the mind gets lost in thought or fear,

Come to the mantra,

Breathing in,

I am aware that I am breathing in and alive.

On the exhale,

I am aware that I am breathing out.

Breathing in,

I am aware that I am alive and breathing.

On the exhale,

I am aware that I am breathing out and alive.

Breathing in,

I am aware and alive.

Breathing out,

I am aware and letting go.

Breathing in,

I am aware and alive.

Breathing out,

I am aware and letting go.

Continue to breathe.

Continue to soften.

Continue to receive the impulses of the human body alive and well.

Feel your health.

Feel your heart.

Feel your rhythm.

You are alive and well.

Tuning into the deep gratitude for the vital life force energy that has found you today.

You have woken up.

You have walked throughout life.

You have breathed.

You have eaten delicious food.

You have connected with dear loved ones.

You have also felt sadness and tears and challenge and fear and ecstasy and ravageness.

The rawness.

You have felt the vast array of the human experience from joy and ecstasy to fear,

Abandonment,

Discardment.

You have felt it all and in order to feel the good and the challenging,

You have been given life force energy.

You have been given a mind today,

A body to feel,

A mind to contemplate.

You are here.

You are alive.

Feel that in the body.

Feel that in the limbs.

Feel that in the heart,

In the breath.

Soften and receive.

Tune into the whispers of the human experience.

You are here.

You are still here.

You are alive.

You are well.

On the next inhale,

I am alive.

On the exhale,

I am well.

On the inhale,

I am alive.

On the exhale,

I am well.

On the inhale,

I am alive.

On the exhale,

I am well.

Continue to breathe.

Continue to soften.

Any small movements that you need in the body,

Sometimes just a rocking back and forth,

Remind yourself that you are in form,

That you are in body.

That the earth sits beneath you.

That life is all around you.

That you are inundated with vital life force energy.

Feel the cellular structure.

Enliven.

Enliven the senses.

Awaken the body.

Awaken the breath.

Soften the fear.

Soften the worry.

Soften.

Inhale,

I am aware and alive.

Exhale,

I am here.

Inhale,

I am aware and alive.

Exhale,

I am still here.

Inhale,

I am grateful.

Exhale,

I will live a life well and meaningful.

Inhale,

I am grateful.

Exhale,

I will live a life well and meaningful.

Inhale,

I am grateful.

Exhale,

I will live a well and meaningful life.

Inhale,

I am grateful.

Exhale,

I will live a well and meaningful life.

Soften.

Receive.

Feel the body radiate through sentience.

You are a sentient being,

Repeating to yourself,

I am a sentient being.

I am a sentient being.

I am a conscious being.

I am a conscious being.

I am here.

And soften into stillness,

Still the mind,

Still the body.

Place a hand anywhere on the body that needs a little bit of love and connection.

Maybe both hands.

Tune in.

Feel the body.

Remind yourself you are here in form.

You are alive.

I am alive.

I am well.

I have a body.

I have a mind.

I am still here.

Maybe using the hands to touch the face,

Patting the face.

I have a human body.

I am in form.

I have a mind.

I am still here.

Touching any parts of the body that feel a little bit numb.

I have a human body.

I can feel.

I am here.

Maybe the hand over the mouth to feel the breath moving in and out.

I am here.

Breathing into the palm.

Breathing into the hand.

Feel that life force energy feel that life force energy coming from the mouth.

I am alive.

I am still here.

And we'll begin to soften the hands down to the body.

Sounding from the back of the throat almost like an ohm but an ah.

To really feel the vibration in the back of the throat,

The vagal nerve.

We will ah seven times to really feel incense into the body,

The sound,

The breath,

That vital life force energy sounding through the body.

Take an inhale.

We begin on the exhale.

Inhale.

And inhale.

Inhale.

And last one.

Inhale.

Begin to open the eyes.

Reorient yourself to the space.

Look around.

Tune into the world around you.

You are still here.

I am still here.

I am alive.

You are alive.

I am sensing.

I am hearing.

I am smelling.

I am feeling.

I am hot.

I am cold.

I am relaxed.

I am tense.

Tuning into the radiant expansive nature of the human experience.

I am alive.

I am alive.

Softening the eyes.

Softening the face.

Softening the jaw.

Feeling the body awakened.

Feeling the cells radiant and full.

I am alive.

I am alive.

Repeating these words,

Maybe saying them out loud.

I am alive.

I am alive.

I have life.

I have life.

I am alive.

I am alive.

I am alive.

Tune into the reality of that life force energy moving through you.

Feel the saliva moving down the back of the throat.

Feel the eyes fluttering.

Feel the aliveness in the limbs.

The softness in the shoulders and the belly.

I am alive.

I am alive.

I am alive.

I have a human life.

A human life.

Can say these words out loud or in the mind.

It feels good to say them out loud.

I am alive.

I have this human life.

I will live it well.

I am healthy.

I am mobile.

I can sound.

I can see.

I can feel.

I am alive.

I am alive.

May we not forget the preciousness of this gift this gift that is given to each 8 billion of us that live in this moment.

That we wake up each day some of us are last.

One day it will be our last.

In this moment we are alive.

We are the precious chosen ones of the moment.

In all of history,

Most of humanity at this point,

Most people that have existed have ceased to exist on the planet.

At this moment we are a small portion that are living life courses through our body,

Through our hearts.

We see,

We hear,

We feel,

And some of us do not see,

Do not hear,

Do not feel.

But in this moment we can see,

We can feel,

We can hear,

We can taste,

We can love.

May we not waste time and fear.

May we not waste time in indecision.

May we choose for our highest.

May we love courageously.

May we speak compassionately knowing that in any moment the ones that we love,

The ones that we are challenged by,

Could be gone in a moment spontaneously.

Many of us halfway through the life expectancy of our lives,

Some of us three quarters of the way,

Some of us just beginning,

Death comes spontaneously.

Death comes in longevity.

It comes in uncertainty.

None of us are guaranteed the next moment.

And in this moment you are breathing.

You are being.

You are existing in human form,

In consciousness.

So again,

Remind yourself,

Say it out loud,

I am alive.

I am alive.

I am alive.

May the contemplation of your mortality,

Of your terminal nature,

Of your temporal nature,

We are each born with an expiration.

We are each dying.

We are each decreasing in our life expectancy.

In this moment,

No matter if we are 20,

30,

40,

60,

70,

In this moment our life expectancy is decreasing in every breath cycle.

May we show up more courageously.

May we show up in more love.

May we more ferociously do our part to leave humanity better than we found it.

May we contemplate our death.

May we contemplate our mortality daily so that that fear that we have of our termination,

Of our expiration,

May it become less and less so that we can face our fears and live courageously,

Wildly,

Authentically.

May our connection to our mortality,

May our connection to death,

Lead us to live more wildly authentic lives.

May we not fit into the status quo.

May we not put ourselves into boxes.

May we dance freely and wildly and nakedly with love and compassion for each other to do the same.

May we let go of our violence towards ourselves and others.

May we become more compassionate,

Unconditionally loving beings in connection to our mortality.

May it become a friend.

May we not hide it outside of our cities and our spaces.

May we expose our children and ourselves to old age and gracefully aging.

May we educate ourselves on the embodiment of disease and sickness.

May we not turn ourselves away from our loved ones that are sick or dying.

May we sit in the wisdom and the insight of that transition and know that in that uncertainty,

In the great unknown,

Is deep wisdom and insight.

So may our mortality stay close so that our life can be vibrant and well-lived.

May we not waste any moments.

May each ordinary moment become extraordinary when it is infused and inundated with deep presence,

Deep aliveness,

And deep love.

I wish for each of you to be honest and vulnerable about your fear of mortality,

But not to turn away from it.

In moments,

We may need to take sips.

We may need to turn away from the meditation or the contemplation,

But may we come back to our breath and repeat to ourselves,

I am alive.

I am alive.

I have human form.

I have human consciousness in this moment.

I am alive.

And may we return to that closeness,

That contemplation,

That connection with our mortality.

And may we live much more.

May we be well.

May we thrive.

May we step outside of our unconscious contracts,

Our limiting beliefs,

Our nourishment barriers,

And let ourselves be loved.

May we celebrate and dance and not work.

Just work.

Not live to work,

But really work so that we can live.

Deepest bows of reverence to you and your journey.

The only thing that we all have in common is that we've come into form and that we will leave that behind.

We will all face our death,

And it doesn't have to be so frightening.

May we learn to sit with the ultimate,

The great mystery,

The uncertainty of life with grace and with honor.