Guided Meditations with Shawn
A collection of 10-15 minute guided meditations for your practice
These guided meditations were originally streamed live on Zoom and IG Live (@shawnparell) as a shared community meditation.
These sessions are brief but potent touchstones, as most practices are — just 10 minutes to gather, recenter our attention, and invite reflection.
The full archive of past sits is available here on Substack for paid subscribers. Thank you for making this offering possible.
Guided Meditation | Dec 18, 2024
Join me for this reflective meditation as we embrace the wisdom of winter and the art of drawing inward.
Together, we’ll soften our outer gaze, settle into the sanctuary of our inner lives, and explore the poetry of James Pearson’s Wintering.
Guided Meditation | Dec 11, 2024
Take a moment to explore the wisdom that arises in the depths of challenge.
In this meditation, we’ll gently connect with our breath, expand our awareness, and reflect on the powerful teachings of impermanence and resilience.
Guided Meditation | Dec 4, 2024
Join me for this gentle meditation inspired by Rosemary Watola Trommer’s poignant poem, Letter to the Parts of Me That I Have Tried to Exile.
Together, we’ll explore the themes of self-acceptance and inner reconciliation, turning inward to embrace the parts of ourselves we may have tried to push away.
Guided Meditation | Nov 20, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the quiet power of finding peace within ourselves, even amidst the busyness of life.
Inspired by a Denise Levertov poem, we reflect on how our inner stillness can ripple outward into the world as a force for balance and care.
Guided Meditation | Nov 13, 2024
In this meditation, we’re taking time to sit with the potent feelings that so many of us are navigating—especially in this moment.
Coming together, we give ourselves permission to tend to our nervous systems, letting go of any professional pretense and just allowing our authentic selves to emerge.
Post-Election Guided Meditation | Nov 6, 2024
This meditation session offers a compassionate space to honor and sit with complex emotions that may be arising after the recent U.S. election.
Together, we explore grief, disappointment, exhaustion, and even moments of hope through gentle, mindful presence. This guided practice encourages us to pause, breathe deeply, and feel fully without bypassing or numbing what’s present.
Guided Meditation | October 30, 2024
In today’s meditation, we explore grounding ourselves amid the complex energies surrounding the U.S. election season.
Together, we’ll find grounding by naming and honoring the simple, tangible elements around us, anchoring our spirits in presence and compassion.
Guided Meditation | October 23, 2024
This meditation invites us to pause and connect with ourselves amidst the ambient stress of the current moment, especially as collective anxiety grows in the lead-up to election day.
Inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem The Buddha’s Last Instruction, this practice encourages compassion and presence, no matter the intensity of our feelings.
Guided Meditation | October 16, 2024
In this meditation, we explore the importance of grounding ourselves amidst the chaos of daily life and the ever-changing socio-political landscape.
Guided Meditation | October 9, 2024
In this meditation, we explore the theme of fear—acknowledging its roots in our nervous system as a protective mechanism, while also recognizing the stories and tension it can create within us.
Together, we’ll gently confront the presence of fear, understanding its language and allowing space for curiosity instead of control.
Guided Meditation | October 2, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the themes of wholeheartedness, authenticity, and presence.
Guided Meditation | September 25, 2024
In this guided meditation, we reflect on the natural rhythms of life, particularly the balance of the autumn equinox.
Guided Meditation | September 18, 2024
This week’s guided meditation invites us to pause, breathe, and find a moment of peace amid the busyness of life.
Guided Meditation | September 11, 2024
In this guided meditation, we begin with a gentle invitation to settle into the body and tune into the present moment.
Guided Meditation | September 4, 2024
This week's guided meditation invites us to transition from the expansive energy of summer into the more grounded and contemplative rhythm of fall.
Guided Meditation | June 4, 2024
In this meditation, we explore the beauty that surrounds us, especially in nature, as a source of calm, inspiration, and reconnection.
Guided Meditation | May 28, 2024
This guided meditation invites you to slow down and connect with the present moment.
Guided Meditation | May 21, 2024
This meditation invites you to embrace the gentle, nurturing power of mindfulness, offering a moment to pause and reconnect with yourself amidst the busyness of life.
Guided Meditation | May 14, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the practice of mindfulness and the beauty of embracing life as it unfolds, even in unexpected ways.
Guided Meditation | May 7, 2024
In this meditation, we explore the theme of spirals in nature, art, and life as a symbol of growth, reflection, and evolution.
Guided Meditation | April 9, 2024
In this guided meditation, there is a gentle invitation to connect with the inner waters of our being, allowing for a deeper awareness of any challenges or tensions that may arise.
Guided Meditation | April 2, 2024
This guided meditation invites you to slow down and embrace the natural rhythms of life.
With gentle reminders to breathe, be present, and notice the subtle energies of the day, this meditation offers a calming space to reflect on emergence and transformation.
Guided Meditation | March 26, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the oceanic nature of consciousness and breath as a powerful companion to mindfulness.
Guided Meditation | March 19, 2024
In today's guided meditation, we explore the theme of embracing life's constant movement, both within and around us.
The meditation encourages us to connect deeply with our breath and body, while gently observing the changing nature of thoughts and emotions.
Guided Meditation | March 12, 2024
In this meditation, we explore the theme of deep emergence, aligning our internal rhythms with nature’s cycles.
The meditation draws inspiration from the unfolding of spring, reminding us that change and growth are gradual processes, much like the natural world.
Guided Meditation | March 5, 2024
Join me for a peaceful, guided meditation centered around mindfulness and the art of inner observation.
Together, we’ll explore how to steady our minds and open our hearts in today’s challenging world, observing our thoughts without judgment and tuning into the sensations of the body.
Guided Meditation | February 27, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the theme of presence and acceptance, inviting you to show up exactly as you are, no matter the circumstances.
Guided Meditation | February 20, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the profound connection between language, presence, and nature, inspired by David Abram's Becoming Animal.
Guided Meditation | February 13, 2024
In this meditation, we are invited to settle into a brief but mindful sit, embracing the simplicity and clarity of the present moment.
Inspired by the clear, crisp beauty of a snow-covered morning, this meditation explores themes of practice, presence, and the nurturing of our inner lives.
Guided Meditation | February 6, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the theme of finding inner peace amidst the busyness of daily life, even in unconventional spaces like a car or waiting room.
Using Wendell Berry's poem The Peace of Wild Things as a grounding inspiration, we are invited to connect with nature and quiet spaces, whether external or internal.
Guided Meditation | January 30, 2024
In this soothing meditation, we explore the balance between the busyness of daily life and the quiet, nourishing moments we can create within it.
Guided Meditation | January 23, 2024
In this gentle guided meditation, we celebrate the theme of returning to ourselves, much like revisiting the familiar yet ever-changing spiral of life.
On my birthday, I reflect on Jane Hirshfield's poem My Life Was the Size of My Life, inviting you to soften into the present moment and embrace the fullness of your life as it is—both simple and expansive.
Guided Meditation | January 16, 2024
In this guided meditation, we explore the themes of renewal, solitude, and reflection as we settle into the stillness of January.
Using a poem by Thomas James as inspiration, we examine the balance between the generative energy of the new year and the natural rhythm of winter—a time for restoration and quiet contemplation.
Guided Meditation | January 9, 2024
This guided meditation offers a gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and ground yourself amidst the transitions of daily life.
Using Wendell Berry’s poem How to Be a Poet as inspiration, the meditation weaves themes of connection to self, creativity, and the natural world.
Guided Meditation | December 19, 2023
In this guided meditation, we explore the balance between being present in our daily lives and connecting with the deeper, quieter parts of ourselves.
Inspired by Robert Frost's Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, the meditation draws on the imagery of the woods on the darkest night of the year, inviting us to pause and soften.
Guided Meditation | December 12, 2023
In this meditation, we explore the delicate balance between joy and sorrow, reflecting on how we can hold both with grace in our daily lives.
Inspired by the story of musician Jon Batiste and his wife, Suleika Jaouad, we invite ourselves to sit with the dichotomies of life—light and dark, joy and pain—using breath as a grounding anchor.
Guided Meditation | December 5, 2023
In this guided meditation, we sit together to cultivate presence and connection.
Using the evocative poem "The Red Brocade" by Naomi Shihab Nye, we explore the themes of hospitality, self-compassion, and the courage to be with ourselves and others in stillness.