Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.

Today, I'm going to talk about

unlocking the gift of impermanence.

So to live fully, it's really wise to

keep an awareness of impermanence and

death by our side, because by seeing

deeply into the fleeting nature of life,

we really naturally feel an enormous

sense of appreciation for what we have.

We don't take things or

people for granted anymore.

You know, so often we live out

lives as if it's never going to

end, or we hurry through our moments

instead of really living them.

But if mindfulness teaches,us anything

it's that if we really pay close attention

to each and every moment, and we're

constantly reminded of the ever-changing,

fleeting and precious nature of life.

So as we observe life in meditation, we

see change happening moment by moment.

So as each breath fills the lungs on the

inhale, then disappears on the exhale.

Our thoughts arise from stillness,

then they dissolve back into stillness.

Emotions come and go just like

the weather moves through the sky.

We hear sounds coming out of silence

and then disappearing back into silence.

So holding all of this in a

compassionate and gentle awareness,

we're reminded again and again of the

impermanent nature of all of life.

And we see also that no two breaths

are the same, no two thoughts are the

same, no two moments are the same.

So every single event is unique.

Every single moment is unrepeatable,

will never be lived again.

And although this awareness of

impermanence might be a little bit

confronting or frightening when we

first encounter it, in time it brings

us a sense of freedom and inner peace.

When we understand, you know, that

everything changes, we don't grip

on to things so tightly anymore.

Instead, we experience a greater

appreciation and connectedness

with life, a oneness with it.

Death and impermanence also

put things into perspective.

It really reminds us

of what really matters.

So we might find ourselves also

letting go of a lot of the distractions

in life, a lot of the problems,

ruminations and fixations in the mind.

Suddenly with impermanence in mind, they

just don't seem that important anymore.

So, if we can remember this, if we can

hold to this awareness of impermanence

close to our hearts in life, far from

being a dark or heavy thing to carry

with us, it's actually something that

brings us a great sense of lightness,

vitality, and love into our lives.

So that's the invitation

for practice today.

See if you can notice

impermanence and hold it close.

Let it be your teacher and your guide.

Let it remind you of the miracle

and the preciousness of this day

you're living today, this day

that will never be lived again.

I hope you enjoy this practice.

There really is so much

depth and richness to it.

And as always thank you for your practice.

And now let's settle in

for today's meditation.