Impermanence

It's a simple guided meditation. It starts with watching the breath until the mind is calmed down and then it continues with contemplation of the impermanence of our body and mind which leads ultimately to detachment.

Transcript

Let's do another meditation session.

Come in a comfortable posture.

Straight back,

Straight neck is important.

But don't be too tight.

Then it's difficult to practice.

It should be relaxed and still straight upright.

And then notice yourself in your posture.

Feel yourself in your posture.

How does it feel like sitting right now?

Notice your head,

Your neck.

Feel your shoulders and arms,

Your hands lying on your lap or on your knees.

Notice the touching of your hands.

How right hand touches the left hand on your lap or how your hands touch your knees.

Notice this sensation of touching.

And feel your buttocks touching the ground,

Touching the sitting cushion or the chair.

And feel your legs.

If you can,

You sit cross-legged.

If not,

Then just sit on a chair or stretch your feet.

And feel how your legs and feet feel like right now.

Then try to get this overall awareness of your body,

How it's sitting in its posture right now.

There might be some parts a bit uncomfortable,

Some discomfort,

Others are peaceful,

No special sensation to be felt.

Then you know that's the body,

The body right now in sitting posture.

Then bring your attention to your nose,

Feel how the breath is coming in at your nostrils,

Touching your nostrils,

Flowing into the body.

And feel how the breath is coming out again.

Feel the in and out breath.

Try to keep it natural,

Don't change the breath,

Only watch the natural breathing in and breathing out.

When breathing in,

It feels a little bit cool,

This stream of air coming in,

It's slightly cool.

And watch when you breathe out,

It feels a little bit warm.

If your mind gets tired,

You can relax,

You mind gets distracted,

Then just know.

When you realize you are distracted,

You know there is thinking,

Thinking.

Know it and say it inside your mind like quietly,

Thinking,

Thinking.

And let it be.

Don't go deeper into the content of your thoughts,

It's not important,

Whatever it is.

Right now it's just thinking,

Let it be and return to your breath.

Notice the breathing in and the breathing out.

It's usually making it easier to focus if you also name the breathing in and breathing out quietly in your mind.

When you feel the breath coming in,

Notice it coming out,

In,

Out.

If there are thoughts again,

Notice it coming out.

If there are thoughts again,

Don't get upset,

Be patient,

It's completely normal.

It's the nature of the mind that it thinks so,

Nothing wrong about it.

Stay relaxed and notice that.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Two,

Three times and let it be and return.

Main object for you is the breath and the body posture.

Noticing your body in this meditation posture and knowing in and out.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Three,

Four times and let it be and return.

If you feel discomfort,

Pain,

You notice that.

You can name it quietly in your mind as pain or discomfort,

Discomfort.

Try to let it be and bring your attention back to the breath.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Three,

Four times and let it be and return.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Three,

Four times and let it be and return.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Three,

Four times and let it be and return.

Yes,

Thinking,

Thinking,

Three,

Four times and let it be and return.

Check where your mind is now.

Are you with the breath,

With the body or is the mind distracted and thinking again?

Never mind.

Know it,

Let go and return.

That's the whole work you have to do.

In the beginning it's just coming back again and again until the mind is able to stay with the body,

With the breath.

Then you become more aware,

More present.

The body is always in the present.

The breathing,

If you know your breath,

You are in the present.

So that's why we try to focus on that,

Being with the present moment,

Feeling the body in the present moment and knowing the breath in the present moment.

That's the best training to become more present.

Our focus is just enough to be with what we experience in the present moment.

And you will see there is no possibility to stay with one object because the present moment will always show you true nature of everything and that it is impermanent.

You can see breathing is changing all the time.

You breathe in and you breathe out.

It's a flow,

It's a change all the time.

No focusing on the body.

You will also realize it's not something that stays,

That is permanent.

It's changing.

There's a pleasant feeling here,

A pleasant sensation there.

Then there's something unpleasant in the body.

You feel some cold,

Some heat,

Some itching,

Always changing.

Nothing stays,

Nothing is permanent.

So by being in the present moment,

You will see the true nature of everything.

That's what the Buddha taught.

Everything we experience in body and mind is changing.

It's anicca.

It's in the flow all the time,

Changing.

It's impermanent.

Where is the mind now?

Are you with the breath,

With the body?

Or thinking again?

Never mind if you're thinking.

But know this mindfulness,

This being in the present is also impermanent.

You can't force it.

It's also coming and going,

Impermanent.

If you try to check anything in this body or mind,

If there's anything that is permanent,

You won't find anything.

Even pain,

Discomfort,

It's there but it also ceases again,

Doesn't stay.

And if it's a pleasant feeling,

However much you may enjoy it,

It's not permanent.

It will cease again.

There is no way to hold on to it.

So right now that's your job to watch that.

Being in meditation like right now or if you go back to your normal daily activity,

Whenever you remember,

Just contemplate on it.

See how things are impermanent,

They're changing.

Pleasant feelings,

Unpleasant feelings,

Nice experiences we have and not so nice experiences.

They all come and go.

None of them stay.

They are all changing.

Make this your daily meditation exercise while doing formal meditation like right now and also in your daily life.

And you will become more and more aware of Anicca,

Of the impermanence of everything.

And when this knowledge,

This understanding,

This wisdom of the Buddha becomes stronger in your consciousness,

Then it will change something in your mind.

It will make you more and more able to let go and not be too attached to things,

Positive and negative things.

You will be more accepting that these things are happening,

But they will also change.

And that wisdom will give you more freedom.

Take a deep breath again.

Notice your posture,

How you're sitting now.

And you know you have done meditation practice for the past minutes,

Contemplating on the breath and contemplating on Anicca,

The impermanence.

And it's good in the end if we also share the merit of our practice we did with all sentient beings,

Especially those that are close to us,

Those we respect like our parents,

Teachers,

Beings.

We love our family,

Friends and also to those neutral to us,

Those we don't really know very well.

And we share it also to enemies.

Or if you say you don't have enemies,

Then to those beings that are a bit difficult for you to deal with.

We wish for all of them,

May they be happy,

Peaceful and free.

And then slowly and painfully come out of concentration.

And I wish you a pleasant day,

A pleasant night.

Reviews

Great meditation, but there is some audio distortion.

Wonderful meditation full of gentle guidance. Thank you 🙏🏼

The buzzing was not a problem. Fit with the meditation on impermanence.

Calming and inspiring. The sound quality could maybe be a bit improved. Thank you for these valuable wise words! 🙏🏻

I guess it’s been about a year (maybe more) since I’ve found you. I didn’t know how to express my gratitude to you, I just felt it in my heart but I couldn’t find the words. Now they came to me. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for sharing both. 🙏🧡🧡

Lovely pace between guidance and quiet space for the meditation experience.

That was wonderful, however, the background noise was annoying and in its self was a practice in Impermanence and letting go.

A beautiful and powerful meditation to start the day 🤍

Lovely. Simply communicated. ♥️

The impermanence of all things... even the annoying buzzing sound on this recording! Love it 😊

Really good content just the sound quality went in and out with static.

Very good 👍

🙏

So true and quieting
Improved mi head and neck ache

Very good meditation for for concentrating🙏

Your voice is so calming. Thanks!

Many thanks!

Thank you deeply

Wonderful following if the breath to peace.