A Guide to the Guideds
Helpful background and suggestions for the Guided Meditations
Photo by David W. Levin; Sacred Valley, Peru, 2024
The guided meditations presented here are inspired by the style and approach of those created by Zen Master Thich Naht Hanh and the broader Plum Village tradition of Buddhism. Thich Naht Hanh is often referred to as “Thay” by his students and followers, which means “teacher” in Vietnamese.
For me, writing guided meditations in Thay’s style has been a profound source of joy and creative expression — an ideal way to transform personal intuitions / observations / discoveries into helpful service for those within my Midwest Moon Sangha community and beyond.
The Format
Following the traditional Plum Village style, my guided meditations are composed of ~10 stanzas, each anchored with a “Breathing In…” statement, “Breathing Out…” statement, a simple recap word or two, and soft sound of the mindfulness bell. When delivering live or via the audio recording, I aim to leave approximately 60 seconds of silence in between the stanzas. This typically yields a total start-to-finish time of ~12 minutes.
Inspired by seasoned facilitators within my home Sangha, I often bookend the guided meditations with brief readings/writings from Thay.
How to Enjoy the Guided Meditations
Though there is not necessarily a right or wrong way to experience guided meditations, I will offer the following simple guidance to help you enjoy them as much as possible:
Sit upright, in a way that’s most comfortable for you. Sitting comfortably in a supportive chair, with feet on the ground and arms comfortably at your sides or on your lap is often optimal for many. You may consider sitting on a meditation cushion, on your bed, or perhaps even on the floor if you can achieve a level of comfort for 15-20 minutes.
Pay attention to your posture, but not at the sacrifice of comfort. It is suggested that sitting in a way that keeps your spine straight, aligned with your head and neck, is ideal and though I’m confident that may be true, my perspective and experience suggests that your ability to sit without discomfort is most important. Seasoned Plum Village Dharma Teacher and friend, Trish Thompson, often instructs to “sit with a beautiful posture,” which is guidance I love.
Close your eyes, or if that is not comfortable, consider a soft gaze right in front of you.
Sit in a quiet environment, free of distractions. Though perfect silence is not essential, avoiding unwelcome or intrusive sounds is helpful. If you phone/device is near you, I strongly suggest turning it completely off or turning it on “airplane” mode. Buzzing notifications are often audible and disruptive while meditating.
Give yourself at least 3 minutes of silence before resuming activity. Once the guided meditation is over, consider fully resting - either seated or reclined - for at least 3 minutes before resuming daily activity.