Hello and welcome to Meditations with Hanya.
Today we will do a meditation on impermanence and acceptance.
Please find a comfortable seated position,
Either lying down or sitting on a comfortable chair.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Allow your body to soften and settle into this very moment.
Begin by bringing awareness to your breath.
Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose.
Fill up your lungs entirely and then exhale smoothly and completely through your mouth or through your nose.
Allow your breath to find its natural rhythm.
As you settle into this rhythm,
Gently notice the waves of your thoughts.
Imagine your thoughts as waves in the ocean,
Coming,
Going,
Rising and falling.
Can you see them?
Can you feel how they ebb and flow?
Each thought is temporary,
Like a wave that rises,
Peaks and dissolves back into the sea.
Bring to mind the teaching of impermanence,
Anicca.
Everything conditioned,
Everything that arises is transient.
Your good thoughts,
They're fleeting.
Your pains and struggles,
They're just passing moments.
Resisting this constant change is like trying to stop the waves,
Exhausting and futile.
Instead,
Embrace their movement.
Meet each wave with acceptance,
Knowing it will pass.
Now imagine that you're standing in the middle of a wild river.
You hold out your hand,
Expecting the water to stop.
Of course it doesn't.
The current flows onward and it carries you along.
Life is like that river,
Always moving,
Always changing.
Notice,
How does it feel to resist the flow?
How does it feel in your body?
Now imagine that you yield to it.
Because we know resisting,
It only causes struggle.
But acceptance,
Acceptance allows you to float peacefully,
Connecting to the natural flow of life.
Now turn your attention to your breath again.
With each inhale,
Invite a sense of openness and acceptance.
With each exhale,
Release tension,
Worries and resistance.
Feel the coolness of the inhalation and the warmth of the exhalation.
Notice how your breath brings you home to this very moment,
Right here in the present.
You can picture the breath as nectar,
An act of surrender and trust.
This is the space where time dissolves and power,
Beauty and connection arise.
Rest here in the space,
Awareness of your steady natural breath.
Watch the waves of your thoughts come and go without any attachment.
Allow them to rise and then gently let them go.
How does that feel in your body?
Whenever your mind wanders,
Softly return your focus to your breath.
Stay here,
Grounded in this moment,
In the rhythm of life itself.
When you're ready,
Slowly bring your awareness back to the room.
Make small movements,
Wiggling your fingers,
Toes.
Stretch if you like,
And then gently open your eyes.
Carry the sense of acceptance and peace with you throughout your day.
Thank you for your practice.
