G'day everyone.
There's a quiet moment in a documentary with Hayao Miyazaki.
He watches a sunset and says,
It really is beautiful.
When you die,
You can't see sunsets.
It's soft,
Almost obvious,
But it lands with weight.
We rush through our lives chasing meaning,
Chasing milestones,
Looking at the most vivid,
Grounding and awe-filled things already here.
This practice is about returning to the simple truth,
That life is not happening later or elsewhere,
It's happening now.
And the more we remember how fragile it is,
The more we're invited to slow down,
To notice,
To savour,
To soften our grip on control and open to presence.
So today,
We're going to use the breath and the body to ground into this moment,
Not out of fear,
But out of reverence.
Because as the Stoics remind us,
You could leave life right now.
Let that determine what you do,
Say and think.
And if that sounds heavy,
Let it lighten you.
Let's begin.
Find a position where your body feels supported.
You can be seated or lying down,
Whatever helps you feel most at ease.
Let your hands rest gently,
Let your shoulders soften,
Let your eyes close or lower your gaze.
Now let's take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
And a long,
Soft breath out through your mouth.
One more time,
Inhale.
Let the breath find its natural rhythm now,
Rising,
Falling.
Let your awareness follow it.
Know that you have arrived.
I want you to now bring to mind something beautiful.
Sunset,
A conversation,
A piece of music,
A moment,
A meal.
Let yourself really feel it.
No need to relive the whole thing,
Just remember that it happened.
Now,
Simply reflect on this truth.
That one day,
It won't be available to you.
Not in a sad way,
Just in a real way.
That moment,
This breath,
This beauty,
It is limited,
And because it's limited,
It's also sacred.
What if you could love more,
Not by holding tighter,
But by paying closer attention?
Breathe in that presence,
And breathe out distraction.
Now scan down through your body,
Start at the top of the head and slowly moving all the way down.
Noticing the forehead,
The jaw,
Neck,
Shoulders,
The chest,
Belly,
Arms,
And your hands.
And through your legs,
Your calf,
Your feet.
Anywhere that feels tired or guarded,
Just send it to your breath.
Softening as you exhale.
Knowing that you don't need to fix or perfect anything,
You're here.
That's enough.
Now picture yourself standing beneath a wide sky.
It's golden hour,
Just before sunset.
The air is still,
Everything is quiet.
You look out and the sky is painted in soft,
Changing color.
Pinks,
Golds,
Purples.
For a moment,
Time slows.
That reminder that this world,
Even in its chaos,
Is still full of beauty.
Sunset reminds you this moment is not coming back.
So,
Breathe it in while it's still here.
Let that become your practice.
Bringing your awareness back to your breath.
The rise,
The fall.
Let this breath be a celebration.
Not of doing,
But of simply being.
If you feel cool,
Quietly think or say to yourself,
This moment is enough.
This breath is a gift.
Starting to wiggle your toes,
Your fingers.
Gently move your shoulders.
And when you're ready,
And only when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
As you return to your breath,
Remember,
When you die,
You can't see the sunsets.
So,
While you're here,
Notice them.
In the sky,
In your body,
In this breath.
That's what it means to live.
Thanks for flowing with me.
I'll see you again next week.
