Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about impermanence.
Recently in a live session,
I talked about this subject,
And prior to that I had talked about dealing with time,
And I had talked about the fact that if you live your life like you were dying,
Your life would be more full and more complete.
You would appreciate your time,
You'd appreciate the people in your life,
And the things in your life,
And every moment would be precious because you'd know that they were limited.
Impermanence teaches us that everything in life is transient and constantly changing,
And understanding this can be both humbling but liberating.
It reminds us to appreciate the present moment,
Knowing that it won't last forever.
Recognizing the impermanence of all things encourages us to let go of attachments and embrace change as a natural part of our lives.
By accepting impermanence,
We can reduce our suffering and find peace in the midst of life's ups and downs.
In your journey of mindfulness and self-improvement,
Reflecting on impermanence can help you to stay grounded and stay present,
And it can help foster a deeper sense of gratitude for the experiences and the people in your life.
I realize that forever is now,
And the sooner that you fully understand that,
The more fully you'll live your life.
Time is valuable,
And once you spend it,
It's gone,
And no one knows how much time they have left.
And in the same way,
Everything in our life is temporary.
Everything is growing and aging and gradually declining until it eventually ends.
I want to share a story by the Thai Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah.
And he told a story,
And he said,
One day some people came to the master and asked,
How can you be happy in a world of such impermanence,
Where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm,
Illness,
Or death?
The master held up a glass and said,
Someone gave me this glass.
It holds my water admirably,
And it glistens in the sunlight.
I touch it and it rings.
One day the wind may blow it off the shelf,
Or my elbow may knock it from the table.
I know this glass is already broken,
So I enjoy it incredibly.
Close your eyes now,
And let's begin to get in touch with our breath.
And it doesn't matter if you're standing,
Sitting,
Or lying down.
The only thing that truly matters when we meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.
As you start to settle in,
Just focus on your breath.
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Let's relax your face.
Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck.
Relax your shoulders.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Look for any tension in your chest and belly.
And as you begin to relax,
Just focus on your breath.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And know that our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments.
When we're happy,
When we're sad,
When we're troubled,
When we're not.
Just breathe.
Breathe at your own pace.
You're not trying to breathe like me,
You're trying to breathe like you.
So just continue to focus on your breath.
Notice where you feel it.
A cool sensation in your nose.
Or the movement of your chest and belly as your breath flows in and flows out.
Just continue to breathe and listen to my voice.
Impermanence is a universal truth that applies to all aspects of existence.
And the cycle of change is constant and ongoing.
Things are born,
They grow,
They age.
Eventually they die and decay and are gone.
And attachment to impermanent things leads to suffering.
When we cling to the idea that things will always be the way they are,
We experience disappointment and pain when they change.
Now here I'm going to pause and I want you to just breathe and think.
And I'll be back in a minute.
Now just continue to breathe.
Follow your breath and listen to my voice.
By accepting the impermanent nature of life,
It can lead to a sense of peace and a feeling of tranquility.
When we understand that change is inevitable,
We can learn to let go of attachments and embrace the present moment.
In our daily lives we see examples of impermanence,
The seasons as they change.
Summer gives way to autumn.
Autumn gives way to winter.
And then winter gives way to spring.
We can look around us and see our friends and family and even ourselves.
We're born,
We grow,
We gradually age.
And then eventually we die.
And our bodies and our minds are constantly changing,
Just like our relationships.
The people in our lives are constantly changing.
People come and people go.
And material possessions can be lost or stolen or damaged.
You know how I love quotes,
So I'm going to share one with you.
Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said,
It is not impermanence that makes us suffer.
What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.
Now just continue to breathe.
If you have thoughts,
Just let them go.
Our thoughts are just like clouds in the sky or waves on a lake.
And if you hear sounds in the room,
Just let them go as well.
Barking dogs and meowing cats can't affect our river of calm.
Our breath slowly moving in and moving out.
Notice the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body.
And with each inhale,
It brings in new life.
And each exhale lets go of what is no longer needed.
This natural cycle of breath is a reminder of the impermanence of all things.
Now if you're willing,
I'd like you to visualize a beautiful flower.
I want you to see it in all of its vibrant colors.
Notice its delicate petals.
Imagine its beautiful fragrance filling the air.
Picture a flower in all of its aspects.
And then with each breath,
I want you to watch the flower go through its life cycle.
From a tiny bud to a full bloom.
And then eventually the petals begin to wilt.
They begin to wither and they fall away.
But even in its fading,
There is beauty and grace.
You can shift your focus to the changing seasons.
Picture the fresh green leaves of spring.
The warmth and the abundance of summer.
The brilliant colors of autumn.
And the quiet stillness of winter.
Each season,
Like each moment of our lives,
Is transient and ever-changing.
Now I'm going to pause again for a minute so you can breathe.
And just think about the impermanence of life.
And then I'll be back.
Now just continue to breathe.
We're just breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
And I'd like you to take a moment to reflect on the people.
And the places and the experiences that have come and gone from your life.
Acknowledge the joy.
And acknowledge the sorrow.
Acknowledge the love and the loss.
Each one has left its mark on you.
Shaping who you are today.
We must embrace the truth that nothing ever stays the same.
This moment,
Like all others,
Is fleeting.
Forever is now.
Allow yourself to be fully present.
To appreciate the now.
Knowing that it too will pass.
Now I want you to take a deep breath.
And as you exhale,
Let go of any attachment to the past or the future.
In this space of impermanence,
Find peace and acceptance.
Now as we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch.
And feel how good it is to be alive.
How good it is to be in this moment.
Because this moment is all there is.
This moment is forever.
And forever is now.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
Life is impermanent.
And the sooner we grasp that,
The more full our life becomes.
Till next time.
