The Last Breath: Mindfulness of Mortality Meditation (94)

In this episode, we dive into a mindfulness of death meditation, inspired by the Buddhist practice of maraṇasati and Episode 93 with death doula, Jill McClennan. "Mindfulness of Mortality" offers a guided meditation focused on the acceptance of life’s impermanence.

By acknowledging mortality, we are encouraged to live with more purpose and mindfulness. The practice draws on mindfulness of death to facilitate a deeper connection with the present, highlighting the value of each moment and the importance of intentionality in our lives.

Whether you’re exploring mindfulness for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, this episode provides a thoughtful approach to understanding life’s transient nature. This session aims to shift perspectives on death—from a topic often avoided to a concept that can enhance our appreciation for life.

Tune in to redefine your relationship with life and death, and discover how acknowledging impermanence can lead to a more intentional and fulfilling life.

• 02:53 Meditation begins

Recommended Episodes:
Ep 93- Death: The Ultimate Life Coach
Ep 43- Experiencing Grief

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi everyone and welcome back to how the wise one grows. Last week in episode 93, we spoke with a death doula, jill McClennan. All about death and how facing the inevitable reality of death can help us to live a more fulfilling life. I think this conversation is so powerful and really important for each of us to go back and listen to if you missed it, and a lot of what Jill shared about how embracing our mortality helps us to live more fully reminds me a lot of some Buddhist meditations and mindfulness practices around death. So that's what we're going to practice during our time together today we're going to sit with the reality of death and our mortality and see how that can help us live more fully in this moment as we embrace the impermanence of all life. So I know that is a lot and if it's too much for you in this moment, save this episode book market. Maybe go back and listen to episode 93 and then practice this in a container where you can feel safe and supported and also know that this the intention of this practice, isn't to be really heavy or sad. It's actually quite uplifting. So don't be too intimidated. I encourage you to try the practice with me. I just want to slide in a quick reminder here that you can be one of the incredible people who make this podcast possible each and every month by joining the dream team. So, for as little as three dollars a month, you can make this offering possible. You can see it as a monthly coffee date in exchange for these weekly conversations and meditations that help us to live with intention. So if you feel inspired to join the dream team, it makes a big impact and you can click the link in the show notes to join. So if you haven't already done so, find a space that feels safe and supported for you and we will get started with today's practice.

Speaker 1: 2:30

So, for today, if you want to practice lying down, I don't think that's a bad thing. I never think that's a bad thing, to be honest, but particularly with this meditation on mindfulness around death, lying down might be a cool parallel for that. So practice either seated or lying down, or walking, if that's what you need today. But just find that space that feels supportive for you and begin to notice. And begin to notice where your body makes contact with the earth. Take note of all points touching the earth and you can gently soften your gaze or rest your eyes and take a big breath in and exhale, let it out Again. Inhale, fill your belly, fill your chest with air, exhale, let it all go one more. Inhale and exhale and maintain your awareness on where your body makes contact with the earth and where your breath flows in and out of the body.

Speaker 1: 4:06

So there's a practice called Mera Anasati, or Mindfulness of Death, that they practice in Buddhist traditions and there's a few ways to practice it, and mine is going to be a spin-off of one teaching that's been shared with me. That also relates a lot to our conversation we had in episode 93. So this isn't a traditional practice. This is Holly's version that we're going to work through together today. But the intention of this practice, the reason we sit with and meditate and are mindful about death is to remind practitioners that death can happen at any moment. It might be tomorrow, it might be the next meal you have, it might be the next breath, and when we have this awareness that it could happen at any moment, we can live accordingly with more intention.

Speaker 1: 5:15

As you're breathing here, I want you to notice how that made you feel. Hearing that, hearing that death could happen any moment Did any part of the body contract, did sensations of anxiety arise anywhere? I just want you to notice that, without judgment, when we sit with the impermanence of life, we are able to see its beauty more fully. In my perspective, inhale and exhale. So begin by relaxing the body here as you breathe in, as you breathe out, and notice if there's any part of the body in which there's tension that we might be holding on to. So notice any parts of the body that feel tense here. Focus on sending your breath to that point, softening and allowing here and now. Notice again where in the body you feel the breath. As you inhale, think I'm breathing in and as you exhale, breathing out. Inhale, breathing in and exhale, breathing out, maybe shifting this mantra to inhale life within me, exhale life around me and your connection to all life through this prana, through this life force. Al hybrid moment, and I just跪後この memoria to이에요.

Speaker 1: 9:04

And maybe start to explore the details of the breath. If this breath were to be your last, how would you want to embody it? How would you want to be with this inhale In this exhale? Maybe you start to slow the breath down, letting it linger. Maybe you really get curious about how it feels. Observing every detail, savor the sweetness of this breath, of this moment.

Speaker 1: 10:47

And now, perhaps, imagine that you are dead and you're looking back on the life you've lived, starting from the day you're born. What moments flash out to you? Do you remember? Is it the sensation of sun shining on your skin, a warm embrace, a breeze? Just imagine the moments that flash from the beginning, through the middle and towards the end.

Speaker 1: 12:05

Maybe you imagine that you're on your last few days of life on this earth and this body. What are they like? If you knew they were your last, how would you approach them? What would you do? How would you meet each moment? What would you breathe in and what would you breathe out?

Speaker 1: 13:02

And then imagine that the physical body has died, your soul's not there anymore. You just see your body lying there and notice that you're not, that the body is, but a vessel, and there's something greater, that is, you Inhale and exhale. And again, as you inhale, choose what do you want to breathe in and exhale. What do you want to breathe out in this life, taking a few more moments to breathe here like this, bring your hands to heart center and offer yourself a moment of gratitude for showing up, for facing your mortality today, and as you transition into what comes next, may you remember the impermanence of this life and may that anchor you in choosing how to move with intention through all the moments that come next. Knowing that it's fleeting, take one more breath together, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Slowly open your eyes as you return to this space.