This is a favorite of mine for noticing how fleeting it can be to really appreciate the breath – it’s startled away at the arrival of the smallest thought. All the time, I’ll be dazzled by the spontaneous generosity of every breath, only to lose sight of it because now I’m remembering I’ve got to… Continue reading A Deer in the Forest Meditation

This is one of my favorite meditations for feeling connected to vast webs of life, and even a spiritual connection to the very sun, moon, and planet we’re spinning around on. I first started thinking about this after hearing Jennifer Pearcy’s wonderful “Yoga Nidra for Sleep” meditation on Insight Timer. I recommend preparing with some… Continue reading Breathing with the Planet Meditation

A Phil Collins meditation – cue drums! No, seriously, Phil Collins is the worst. There is so much going on in the simple air we breathe. This is a meditation on looking closer at what, at first, appears to be nothing.

I like experiences where I think about all the steps and resources and people it took to get a bag of Quest Nacho Cheese Protein Chips in front of me right now. These supply chain reveries give me a deepened appreciation for the power of human specialization, a sobering glimpse of the precarious world of… Continue reading Walking Through the Neighborhood Meditation

“There are a hundred thousand species of love, separately invented, each more ingenious than the last, and every one of them keeps making things.” – Richard Powers, The Overstory Our pets are so uncomplicated. We love them, and they love us. There might be naughty behavior sometimes, but they don’t disappoint us or betray us.… Continue reading Petting the Pet Meditation

This meditation is one of my favorites when people I disagree with drive me a little nuts. It fuels my sense of compassion and connection to realize that however powerful we might feel, we are fragile in the face of our need to do the most simple act: Without the breath, we are lost.

When I started meditating, it was out of sheer desperation. I was burning in a forest fire of stress. While drinking worked pretty well to shut it down at night, that didn’t offer practical solutions for what to do with the other hours of the day. Finally, out of care and concern, my kind manager… Continue reading Calm and Stress Meditation