Shows
New Books with Miranda MelcherJanine Schipper, "Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest" ((U Wyoming Press, 2025)Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest (University of Wyoming Press, 2025) by Dr. Janine Schipper reconsiders the most basic assumptions about water issues in the Southwest, revealing why conservation alone will not lead to a sustainable water future. The book undertakes a thorough examination of the prevailing “conservation ethos” deeply ingrained in the culture, critically analyzing its historical roots and shedding light on its problems and inherent limitations. Additionally, it explores deep ecology and an Indigenous water ethos, offering radically different ways of understanding and experiencing water.
Using an exploratory and qualitative appro...2025-05-2441 min
New Books in Environmental StudiesJanine Schipper, "Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest" ((U Wyoming Press, 2025)Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest (University of Wyoming Press, 2025) by Dr. Janine Schipper reconsiders the most basic assumptions about water issues in the Southwest, revealing why conservation alone will not lead to a sustainable water future. The book undertakes a thorough examination of the prevailing “conservation ethos” deeply ingrained in the culture, critically analyzing its historical roots and shedding light on its problems and inherent limitations. Additionally, it explores deep ecology and an Indigenous water ethos, offering radically different ways of understanding and experiencing water.
Using an exploratory and qualitative appro...2025-05-2441 min
New Books in the American WestJanine Schipper, "Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest" ((U Wyoming Press, 2025)Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest (University of Wyoming Press, 2025) by Dr. Janine Schipper reconsiders the most basic assumptions about water issues in the Southwest, revealing why conservation alone will not lead to a sustainable water future. The book undertakes a thorough examination of the prevailing “conservation ethos” deeply ingrained in the culture, critically analyzing its historical roots and shedding light on its problems and inherent limitations. Additionally, it explores deep ecology and an Indigenous water ethos, offering radically different ways of understanding and experiencing water.
Using an exploratory and qualitative appro...2025-05-2341 min
New Books in Native American StudiesJanine Schipper, "Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest" ((U Wyoming Press, 2025)Conservation Is Not Enough: Rethinking Relationships with Water in the Arid Southwest (University of Wyoming Press, 2025) by Dr. Janine Schipper reconsiders the most basic assumptions about water issues in the Southwest, revealing why conservation alone will not lead to a sustainable water future. The book undertakes a thorough examination of the prevailing “conservation ethos” deeply ingrained in the culture, critically analyzing its historical roots and shedding light on its problems and inherent limitations. Additionally, it explores deep ecology and an Indigenous water ethos, offering radically different ways of understanding and experiencing water.
Using an exploratory and qualitative appro...2025-05-2341 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 33: A Last Offering & Meditation on TransitionsJoin Janine for a final episode as she steps away from the podcast for the foreseeable future. More than just the close of a season, this moment marks a turning point—an honoring of the ways this past year has reshaped her, and a response to the pull in new directions. In the spirit of following the aliveness, Janine shares candid reflections on change, uncertainty, and trusting life’s unfolding. The episode closes with a guided meditation on transitions—an invitation to honor the thresholds we each encounter and the wisdom that emerges as we move through them.Foll...2025-05-1120 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 32: Exploring Co-Existing RealitiesToday's mid-week breather offers a guided meditation designed to help listeners explore multiple, co-existing planes of reality. We’ll explore the emotional landscape, our sense of space and time, the underlying stillness beneath it all—and how these layers interweave into a single, lived experience.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact F...2025-05-0709 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 32: In the Light of the Rising Sun“Awareness spread out across all time and space, into the Eternal Now where the mystics dwell.” In this episode, we explore multiple dimensions of existence—reflecting on the emotional landscapes that shape our inner worlds, the interwoven realities of human and geological time, the sacred stillness that underlies experience, and the unfolding present moment, among other subtle planes of being. Today’s contemplative reflection, “In the Light of the Rising Sun” was written by Janine Schipper on April 23, 2024.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention...2025-05-0415 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 31: Tuning into the Here and Now through the SensesToday’s Mid-Week breather aims to help listeners deepen their awareness of their environment through their senses, fostering a richer connection with the present moment.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagra...2025-04-3009 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 31: Hidden in Plain View“I realize that searching for what’s hidden is quite different from opening up to the unseen.” Join Janine on a Forest Walk as she shares how opening her senses allowed her to connect with the forest’s hidden surprises.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Hidden in Plain View” was written by Janine Schipper on September 9, 2024.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact J...2025-04-2712 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather Reharvest: Observing These Wild ThoughtsJoin us today for a Mid-Week Breather Reharvest—a fresh practice drawn from a past offering that continues to invite reflection and connection with the aliveness in your everyday life. Today's mid-week breather offers an extended version of the closing meditation from this past Sunday's episode titled “These Wild Thoughts.” May this meditation help you to connect with the sacred in everyday life. May you find peace and wellbeing. As you move through your day, may you Follow the Aliveness!Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. I...2025-04-2309 min
Following the AlivenessReharvest: These Wild ThoughtsJoin us today for a Reharvest — fresh insights from a favorite past episode. “I wonder, as with the ways of the forest, might the thinking mind simply reflect the wild within?” In today’s episode, Janine delves into the wild terrain of thoughts, drawing parallels to the untamed nature she encounters on her morning walks. Join us as we explore the wild nature of our thoughts.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following...2025-04-2016 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 30: The Light of BeingThis guided meditation guides you from “witnessing consciousness” to the subtle, luminous presence to what Janine calls the “light of being.” This is a gentle exploration that invites listeners to sit in the radiant stillness of your own being.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Face...2025-04-1610 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 30: A Speck of Barley and the Mundane Moments in Our Lives“In pondering these trivial moments, I wonder, are they any less valuable than the moments of profound realization that tap into a greater sense of wholeness?” In this episode, Janine reflects on how a search for something more profound led her instead into a deeper attention to the fleeting and often overlooked moments of daily life—where she began to encounter the sacred in the small.Today’s contemplative reflection, “A Speck of Barley” was written by Janine Schipper on April 25, 2023.Reference:Hafiz. “The Ear that Was Sold to a Fish,” and “Cupping My Hands Like a Mo...2025-04-1313 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 29: The Unseen Energy WithinToday's mid-week breather invites you to connect with the unseen, subtle energy that exists in each of us—the life force that shapes our thoughts, feelings, and actions, yet often goes unnoticed. It encourages you to embrace the mystery of what’s hidden beneath the surface, and to honor the depth within.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: h...2025-04-0908 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 29: Yellow Leaves and the Aliveness Within“From within, we are magnificent. We are life ever-flowing, surging with the deep power of a thousand suns.” Join us today as Janine explores the nature of inner aliveness through a dream of yellow leaves and the challenge of expressing what can never be fully seen from the outside.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Yellow Leaves” was written by Janine Schipper on April 26, 2022.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website2025-04-0614 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 28: Sitting with UncertaintyIn this meditation, we embrace uncertainty, allowing space for insight to arise naturally without the pressure to resolve it. A chance to rest in the unknown with patience and trust. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com...2025-04-0208 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 28: Asking the Deep Questions“I feel like a mad scientist, consumed by the enigma, feverishly in search of resolution. But just like scientific or mathematical puzzles, breakthroughs in understanding usually come when the mind relaxes and lets go.” Join us as we explore the practice of relaxing into our questions rather than chasing answers. Through reflection and a short meditation, you'll be invited to sit with your own questions in a way that allows insight to arise naturally. If you’re interested in exploring what might emerge when you stop searching, this episode is for you.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Dharma Questions”...2025-03-3014 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 27: Following the Aliveness MeditationToday's midweek breather invites you into a full-circle meditation that connects deeply with the heart of this podcast, guiding you to follow your aliveness and explore what that looks like for you.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com...2025-03-2610 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 27: Birding on the Path of Aliveness“We must have been a curious sight. Four forest adventurers, binoculars in hand, engaged in passionate discussion; and one trailing wanderer, eyes tilted toward the heavens.” Join us today as Janine shares a reflection on birding and how it sparked a deeper connection to her own aliveness with the turn of spring. Today’s contemplative reflection, “Birding” was written by Janine Schipper on April 5, 2022.Reference: Leopold, Aldo. 2020 (1949). A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There. Oxford University Press.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or nee...2025-03-2316 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 26: The Cosmos Looking at ItselfToday’s mid-week breather invites you to experience yourself as the cosmos, expanding beyond the boundaries of self to feel the interconnectedness of all that is and rest in the vastness of existence itself.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.fa...2025-03-1911 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 26: Bowing to the Sun“It’s a whole other level of “wow” when we have paradigm-shifting experiences, experiences that shift not only what we think is real, but who we think we are.” In today’s episode, Janine reflects on a moment of communion with the sun that sparked a deep sense of gratitude and expanded her awareness into a broader cosmological consciousness.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Bowing to the Sun,” was written by Janine Schipper on March 16, 2022.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe env...2025-03-1614 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 25: Exploring Oneness Through ImaginationIn this Mid-Week Breather, we dive into the power of imagination to unlock a deeper sense of connection and Oneness. This guided meditation will help you step into a peaceful, expansive space where you can engage your senses and experience a sense of connection to the world around you and beyond.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https...2025-03-1213 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 25: Shifting Perspectives Through Imagination“I had let my imagination run wild as a little girl, trying to cast my mind beyond the horizon of the universe.” In this episode, Janine explores the shift from thinking about Oneness to experiencing it directly. Join her as she shares how imagination and playful curiosity can unlock the doors to perception, allowing us to experience a deeper sense of connection in our lives.Today’s contemplative reflection, originally titled, “Imagination,” was written by Janine Schipper on April 12, 2022. References:Chara M. Curtis. 2015. All I see is Part of Me. CACC Publications.Elen Elen...2025-03-0916 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 24: What to do when you don’t have enough time to listen to podcastsIf you’re too busy to listen to this… well, that’s exactly why you might need it. Sometimes, the best way to make space for something isn’t to add more time—it’s to shift how we show up in the time we already have. So if you can, take a breath, tune in, and enjoy the next 15 minutes as a small pause in your day.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following th...2025-03-0513 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 24: Sojourner into the Sacred“I have learned over time that following the breath does not only help calm the turbulent mind. The breath is also a sacred portal.” Join us for today’s episode as Janine explores the journey inward—beyond the waves of thought and into sacred spaces through the power of the present moment. Today’s contemplative reflection, “Sojourner into the Sacred” was written by Janine Schipper on February 17, 2023.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Followi...2025-03-0214 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 23: Awareness of AwarenessToday's mid-week breather offers a deep dive into awareness itself. When we become aware of the ever-present awareness that we are, we awaken to the truth of our deeper selves, beyond the layers of identity and illusion, discovering the boundless essence that has always been with us, waiting to be fully realized.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine a...2025-02-2609 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 23: Playing with Creation“We’re in a dance of life, the world and me, swinging each other around like partners on a dance floor.” Join us today as Janine reflects on embracing a sense of play and co-creation with the world around us.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Playing with Creation” was written by Janine Schipper on February 10, 2025.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janin...2025-02-2313 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 22: Exploring Mind, Body, and BeingIn today’s Mid-Week Breather, you'll gently explore the interconnectedness of your Mind, Body, and Being, guided to experience them as one unified, luminous presence.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagra...2025-02-1910 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 22: Walking Awake“There was no separation, no boundary between self and world.” Join us today as Janine shares how the Mind, Body, and Light of Being intertwined during a "walking awake" experience through the forest, despite feeling physically tired. Today’s contemplative reflection, “Walking Awake” was written by Janine Schipper on February 3, 2025.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https...2025-02-1614 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 21: Easing Pain with PresenceThis mid-week breather offers a gentle meditation to help ease pain or discomfort in your body. While not a substitute for medical care, it’s a simple practice you can return to anytime you need support.This meditation is inspired by: Lucialorn. 2019. The Incredible Reality of YOU: A Spiritual Guide to the Awakening of Consciousness. Library and Archives Canada.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at...2025-02-1208 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 21: Silence within Silence“Part of me aches to return to the early morning shadows, feeling as if within those shadows live other shadows and realms unknown.” In today’s episode, follow Janine into the silence as she reaches for a deeper quiet that seemed just beyond her grasp.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Fi...2025-02-0915 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 20: Sleeptime Rainbow MeditationHere’s a Sleeptime Rainbow Meditation designed to inspire rest, calm, and a touch of magic for all.✨🌈Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagram at: @following_the_aliv...2025-02-0511 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 20: Old Friend“Every now and then Mind tries to reclaim centerstage. I calmly step aside and let it continue on its way.” In today’s episode, Janine explores the antics of the mind and shares how a morning encounter with a group of crows helped her shift her perspective on the constant chatter within. Join us as we reflect on how to gently step back and observe our thoughts, rather than letting them take center stage.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Old Friend” was written by Janine Schipper on January 10, 2025. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus...2025-02-0216 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 19: Metta Meditation: Cultivating Loving-Kindness for Yourself and the WorldIn this week’s Mid-Week Breather, we engage in a loving-kindness meditation (Metta) to nurture compassion for ourselves and the world around us. This practice offers a gentle way to connect with the heart and extend care to all beings.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Al...2025-01-2913 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 19: When the World is on Fire“‘Take care of your heart,’ the trees called forth.” In this episode, Janine explores the overwhelming weight of the world’s suffering and the question, “What can one person do?” Join her as she shares one accessible approach to navigating these moments with tenderness and care.Today’s contemplative reflection, “When the World is on Fire” was written by Janine Schipper on January 13, 2025.Reference:Dossey, Larry. 2014. One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Collective Consciousness and Why It Matters. Hay House LLC.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can...2025-01-2618 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 18: Connect with your Inner GuidanceDiscover the power of your intuition in this week’s mid-week breather! Janine guides you through a meditation designed to help you tap into your inner wisdom—perfect for moments of uncertainty or when tough decisions arise. This is an opportunity to pause, tune in, and connect with the quiet, steady voice within that so often holds the answers you’re seeking. Reference:Chestney, Kim. 2020. Radical Intuition: A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power. New World Library.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need f...2025-01-2209 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 18: The Wise One Within“The wise one within at last makes an appearance, saving me from the throws of self-deprecation that I have fallen into.” Join us today as Janine shares a vulnerable experience and how she connected with her inner wisdom to guide her. Her journey invites listeners to reflect on their own capacity to access inner guidance.Today’s contemplative reflection, “The Wise One Within,” was written by Janine Schipper on January 26, 2025.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment...2025-01-1914 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 17: The Diamond that Cuts Through IllusionThis Mid-Week Breather offers a guided meditation designed to help listeners cut through the illusion of separation, guiding them to directly experience the interconnectedness of all things and the constant, ever-shifting flow of reality.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www...2025-01-1515 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 17: Remembering, Forgetting, and Remembering Again“Sometimes I forget that each step is a magical, wonderous dance of existence. Until I remember, again.” Join us as Janine shares her experience of moving in and out of clarity—one moment fully present, the next lost in a dream, and then finding her way back. Today’s contemplative reflection, “Remembering, Forgetting, and Remembering Again” was written by Janine Schipper on January 14, 2022.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Alive...2025-01-1221 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 16: Portals into the Unknown - MeditationIn today’s mid-week breather, I’ll guide you into the space between breaths, thoughts, and sounds- entering “portals into the unknown” and exploring the subtle qualities of these transitional moments.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...2025-01-0808 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 16: Portals into the Unknown“I seek doorways into this Great Mystery, the easiest one for me being the space between two breaths, but there are infinite entry points.” Join us as we explore transitional spaces—where boundaries dissolve and we have access to the great mystery of the unknown. Note: this episode references the “What If Game.” You can hear more about this in Episode 3: The What If Game and Mid-Week Breather 3: Playing the What If Game.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Portals into the Unknown” was written by Janine Schipper on April 19, 2022.Reference:Lao Tzu. 2006. Tao Te...2025-01-0516 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 15: Setting Intentions for a New YearIn this mid-week breather, we’ll explore the practice of setting a spiritual intention for the new year—one that aligns with your inner truth, growth, and connection to the present moment. May you find peace and wellbeing. As you move through the year ahead, may you Follow the Aliveness!Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: ht...2025-01-0108 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 15: Birds Flying in My Heart“If one discovers oneself moving as the heart of the Universe, it becomes clear that we are all an outpouring of the Great Heart.” Join Janine as she explores a shift in perception, where the Universe and the self merge. Experience a meditation that invites you to play with this shift, offering you a taste of what it feels like to perceive the world in a whole new way.Today’s contemplative reflection, “Birds Flying in My Heart,” was written by Janine Schipper on December 6, 2024.Reference:Donald Bahr, Lloyd Paul, Vincent Joseph. 1997. Ants and Oriole...2024-12-2915 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 14: Touching the Sacred in Everyday SpacesIn today’s midweek breather, I’ll guide you through a simple visualization. We’ll begin by connecting with a space that feels sacred to you, whether it’s a place in nature, a place of worship or a quiet space. Then, we’ll bring that sacred energy into an ordinary space—one that feels neutral or mundane—and watch as it transforms, infusing the everyday with the beauty and presence of the sacred. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environmen...2024-12-2508 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 14: Walgreens meets The Enchanted Forest“Suddenly, I transformed from an alien in a foreign world to a forest dweller who carried the spirit of the forest with me into the Walgreens.” Join us as Janine explores and blurs the lines between sacred space and those places that we consider ordinary and anything but sacred. Today’s contemplative reflection, “Walgreens meets the Enchanted Forest,” was written by Janine Schipper on January 19, 2024.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the...2024-12-2217 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 13: The Diamond Within VisualizationThis week’s Mid-Week Breather offers an extended version of the last episode’s visualization of the Diamond Within. May this visualization help you touch the diamond within yourselves and help you connect with peace and wellbeing. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: h...2024-12-1808 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 13: The Diamond Within“The true value lies … in the stillness that allows the diamond within to shine undisturbed.” Join us as Janine reflects on a place of crystalline beauty that shines bright within each one of us. Today’s contemplative reflection, “The Diamond Within,” was written by Janine Schipper on December 25, 2023.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingt...2024-12-1513 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 12: Finding Peace within the BodyThis body scan meditation gently guides listeners to explore the sensations within their bodies, cultivating a sense of presence and peace. By bringing awareness to each part of the body with curiosity and care, it invites a deeper connection to the stillness within. Perfect for grounding yourself and finding calm amidst life’s busyness.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Jani...2024-12-1113 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 12: This One Miraculous Moment“In the present moment, there is only the miracle of existence.” In today's episode, Janine delves into the struggle of staying present when the mind's chatter takes hold. She shares how, despite this, a single mindful breath can unveil the miracle of the moment, far beyond what the mind can conceive.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://w...2024-12-0813 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 11: Flowing Through Time and Resting in TimelessnessToday’s mid-week breather offers a guided meditation to help listeners connect with the flow of linear time while also experiencing the timelessness of the present moment.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158...2024-12-0410 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 11: The Passage of Time“Time creates the world, and despite all its heartache and pain, the world remains exquisitely beautiful.” Join us as Janine reflects on the swift passage of time while taking moments to pause and rest in the present—the timeless space beyond the flow of time. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealivenes...2024-12-0216 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 10: Insight Meditation (Vipassana)In this Mid-Week Breather, Janine offers a guided insight meditation practice, or Vipassana, designed to deepen present-moment awareness and uncover insights into the nature of reality. We hope you enjoy this session and find it beneficial. You might even consider saving it to revisit as part of your regular meditation routine. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https...2024-11-2719 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 10: Indra's Net and the Fantastical Interconnectedness of the Universe“The crystals of Indra’s Net emerge as you and me, as a dew drop and a baby elk, as my cell phone and a dandelion puff. We are the jewels of the Universe.” Join us as Janine explores the metaphor of Indra’s Net—a radiant web where each jewel mirrors every other, illustrating the interconnectedness of all existence. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingth...2024-11-2413 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 9: Quieting the Inner NoiseToday's mid-week breather helps listeners break free from the grip of compulsive thinking, offering a sense of release, calm, and presence.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagram at: @followi...2024-11-2009 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 9: Savor and Let Go“Each day brings a new energy, just as things naturally shift and change over time. Holding onto yesterday isn’t wise.” Join us today as Janine shares her heartfelt journey of launching her podcast, explores meaningful connections, and offers practical insights on savoring the moment while gracefully letting go.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.follow...2024-11-1714 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 8: Deep Peace, Boundless AwarenessIn today’s Mid-week Breather, Janine guides listeners through a meditation designed to nurture a deep sense of peace and awareness, starting from their innermost core and extending to the vastness of the universe.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.fa...2024-11-1311 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 8: What Matters Most“A precious life is built moment by moment, day by day.” Join us today for an exploration of what truly matters in life. In a world where each moment is filled with infinite possibilities—and in a culture constantly competing for our attention—where should we place our focus?Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followin...2024-11-1015 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 7: Calming AnxietyThis week’s Mid-Week Breather invites listeners to release tension in their bodies and visualize a serene scene, allowing themselves to enter a state of calm, ease, and wellbeing.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=615...2024-11-0610 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 7: The Heart's Remembering“I slow down my pace until it becomes so relaxed that I can hear my heart’s tender longing to return to itself.” Join us as we delve into the heart's deepest longings and discover the direction your heart wishes to take you.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Followi...2024-11-0315 min
Following the AlivenessHalloween Bonus Episode: In the ShadowsIn this special Halloween bonus episode, join Janine for a journey into the Shadows, where hidden mysteries await both within and around us.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagram at2024-10-3107 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 6: Warm Blanket MeditationToday's guided meditation offers a gentle invitation to connect with your practice in a tender, nurturing way. For those of us carrying the weight of stress or anxiety, this meditation grounds us in the core of our being, helping us rediscover a sense of calm and inner ease.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followin...2024-10-3009 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 6: Feeling Deeply into the World“I have returned to a world where the gossamer wings of a fly that has landed on my foot has the capacity to fascinate and fill me with joy.” Join us for today’s episode as Janine shares her journey into forging deep connections with the more-than-human world and offers insights on how we can all cultivate a closer relationship with nature. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” websit...2024-10-2716 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 5: Awakening to the NowToday's Mid-Week Breather offers an extended version of the closing meditation from this past Sunday's episode titled “Waking Up to the Moment.” May you experience peace and well-being. As you go about your day, may you embrace the aliveness within you!Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Follow...2024-10-2309 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 5: Waking Up to the Moment“From this place of endless possibilities, my heart is not restricted but opens wide and wild.” Join us for this week’s episode as Janine explores the freedom that is possible within one aware moment. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.face...2024-10-2016 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 4: Observing the Wild Nature of ThoughtsToday's mid-week breather offers an extended version of the closing meditation from this past Sunday's episode titled “These Wild Thoughts.” May this meditation help you to connect with the sacred in everyday life. May you find peace and wellbeing. As you move through your day, may you Follow the Aliveness!Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: ht...2024-10-1609 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 4: These Wild Thoughts“I wonder, as with the ways of the forest, might the thinking mind simply reflect the wild within?” In today’s episode, Janine delves into the wild terrain of thoughts, drawing parallels to the untamed nature she encounters on her morning walks. Join us as we explore the wild nature of our thoughts.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine...2024-10-1316 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 3: Playing The What If GameToday's Mid-Week Breather offers guidance on a way to play The What If Game. If you’d like to learn more about The What If Game, please listen to this past Sunday's episode. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www...2024-10-0907 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 3: The What If Game“What if everything I see is part of me?” In today’s episode, Janine delves into the idea that we are much more than we realize—beyond just individual, separate selves—by introducing a game she calls “The What If Game.” Join us for this intriguing episode and play along! Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingth...2024-10-0616 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 2: Finding the Calm Space WithinThis week, with many friends struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I wanted to offer a meditation to help us find the calm within. Additionally, many of us are feeling anxious and overwhelmed—whether by the upcoming election, ongoing wars, the effects of climate change, or our own personal challenges. So I hope this meditation helps you center yourself and immerse yourself in a deep sense of inner stillness.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore t...2024-10-0217 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 2: The Essence of Things“You are never alone. / We co-arise together / Swapping breaths / In this mysterious dance of form.” ~Spider Tree as quoted by Janine SchipperIn today’s episode, Janine ponders what it means to connect with the essence of everyday objects, exploring “the essence of things” like her rocking chair or a rock on her windowsill. Join us and connect with the essence of everyday objects in your life.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Fo...2024-09-2910 min
Following the AlivenessMid-Week Breather 1: Taking One Sacred StepToday's Mid-Week Breather offers a short meditation that will help you come fully into the present moment and take one sacred step. Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus. If you’re driving or need full attention, wait until you're in a safe environment. 🙏🏼 Explore the “Following the Aliveness” website at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/Contact Janine at: https://www.followingthealiveness.com/contact Find “Following the Aliveness” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562083661158 and on Instagr...2024-09-2507 min
Following the AlivenessEpisode 1: Greeting This Sacred Moment“There was a nobility in the silence of the early morning, a graciousness offered to me by the first light that called me to take a different approach to the day.” In this episode we explore how a single step can be a gateway to connecting with what’s most sacred in our lives. We discuss the challenges of taking that step and how nature can guide and support us along the way. Tune in for insights on embracing the sacred in everyday moments.Please listen in a quiet, safe space where you can focus...2024-09-2011 min
Following the AlivenessWelcome to Following the AlivenessFollowing the Aliveness takes a deep dive into the sacred in everyday life in under 15 minutes, making it a perfect start to your meditation practice, providing a moment of sacred time during a busy day, or even in the midst of life's chaos.Join us every Sunday for a new episode. And enjoy a Midweek Breather every Wednesday, a guided meditation inspired by the previous Sunday’s episode. We're excited to announce that the first episode will launch on September 22nd, just in time to celebrate the Fall Equinox!...2024-09-0502 min