Unlocking the Gift of Impermanence

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.