Contemplating our mortality, whether through the lens of nature's cycles or more direct reflections, creates a particular kind of spaciousness that can be hard to cultivate in this modern life. Worries shift in perspective. Gratitude becomes less effortful. The present moment reveals its preciousness, and we become more fully alive.

The practice of death contemplation has roots in wisdom traditions across cultures, each revealing that befriending our mortality offers a deeper understanding of life. When we truly grasp that our time here is finite, we come to see that there is no such thing as an ordinary moment.

The meditations below differ slightly in their approaches. Take a look at the descriptions and choose what feels right for your current capacity. There's no need to push beyond your comfort zone. These are here to be engaged with repeatedly. If you find these helpful and wish to make a contribution so that more can be made, you’ll find donation links at the bottom of the page. Thank you so much.

The Light Body

This meditation, a lightly edited version of one written by the wonderful Stephen Levine, based on teachings from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, begins with deepening awareness of your physical body. You'll explore the relationship between your "heavy body" and the "light body" of consciousness within. The practice then leads you through letting go of the heavy body and dissolving into luminous space, before being gently guided back into embodied life. This is a more direct encounter with mortality that invites you to explore what it might feel like to die—and what it might mean to choose life again.