Please note that this practice is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.
Proceed with caution if you are still in acute grief or have just experienced a recent loss.
If at any moment you feel uncomfortable during the meditation,
It would be advisable to discontinue it.
This meditation carries you to the bedside during your final moments,
Entering a guided journey through the threshold of dying.
You will be exploring the emotions,
Memories,
And longings that arise at life's close,
And through a contemplation of impermanence,
Return to your pure essence,
That of love.
Allow your body to rest deeply as you are cradled by the earth below you.
Take a slow,
Full breath through your nose and a soft breath out your mouth.
Let each exhale loosen your hold on the day.
There is nothing to do now.
Nowhere to go.
Only this moment.
Now imagine this is the very end of your life.
You are lying in a bed,
Your deathbed.
The body is tired.
Breath comes softly.
Each inhale is deliberate and precious.
The muscles no longer strive.
The heartbeat is gentle,
Like the last notes of a song.
This body,
Which has carried you through every season,
Is preparing to rest.
Begin to expand your awareness.
Where are you?
Perhaps in your own home,
Surrounded by familiar things.
Perhaps in a hospital room,
Or maybe outdoors in nature.
Perhaps in a space suffused with sunlight or candlelight,
Or surrounded by the colors of dusk.
Notice the quality of the light,
The textures,
Any scents that may be lingering.
Notice how the air feels on your skin.
Through your mind's eye,
See who is gathered on your side.
A beloved hand holding yours.
Maybe you see faces of family or friends,
Etched with love,
With grief,
With reverence.
Also notice who is not.
A presence you may have longed for.
A soul already gone.
A figure you wish could be near.
Sense them also.
Perhaps not in body,
But in essence.
Like unseen stars,
Their light still reaches you.
Allow regrets to start rising.
Perhaps words you never spoke.
Love which was withheld.
Moments of hesitation.
Feel how your body responds to these memories.
What comes up?
And as you breathe,
Let forgiveness begin to flow.
For yourself.
For others.
For the imperfection of being human.
Let regret dissolve.
Like mist in the morning sun.
Now bring your mind what fills you with gratitude.
Visualize flashes of your life.
The laughter of loved ones.
The warmth of the sun.
The kindness you gave and received.
Let these memories rise like stars across the night sky.
Feel pride for the ways you showed up.
For the ways you loved.
For the ways you tried.
Let gratitude expand through your chest.
A golden light glowing brighter with every breath.
Now notice what hopes remain perhaps.
Maybe it's peace for those you leave behind.
Or a wish that your life mattered more.
That love continues.
And that your essence carries on in ways unseen.
Let these longings soften into trust.
That what you gave is enough.
That your life as it unfolded is now complete.
Now feel your body grow lighter.
Your breath shallow.
Your mind quiet.
As if you are dissolving into the great vast.
You are no longer bound by form.
The horizon opening.
The ocean pulling you gently home.
You are the river returning to the sea.
You find yourself now standing at a threshold.
Behind you,
Your life.
Every moment.
Every love.
Before you,
The great mystery.
Infinite and inevitable.
Notice what arises.
Perhaps fear or sadness.
Perhaps it's peace.
Or even wonder.
Welcome it all.
Everything belongs.
Here at the threshold,
Feel what endures beyond breath.
Beyond the form.
What remains is love.
The love you gave.
And the love you received.
The love that carries on in every life you touched.
Love is a thread that never unravels.
The current that carries you into the vastness.
The light inside that never fades.
It is the only truth.
Now slowly begin to return to the present moment.
Allow your breath to deepen.
Feel your body here.
Alive.
Resting on the earth.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Take one last slow,
Deep breath in.
And release.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
As you go about your day,
Carry this truth with you.
Life is precious because it ends.
And what remains always is love.
