Welcome,
Let's start by honoring the simple fact that you chose to be here now,
To show up for yourself in this very moment.
As you ease into this space,
Allow your body to follow.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaw soften and your hands rest effortlessly.
Take a deep,
Rich inhale through the nose,
Tasting this moment,
Letting it fill you and a gentle exhale through the mouth,
Letting it carry away whatever you do not need.
This is a rare meeting,
A once-in-a-lifetime moment and you are its honored guest.
Ichigo Ichie,
A Japanese expression that means one time,
One meeting.
It invites us to treat each moment as unique,
Unrepeatable and worth honoring.
So whether you are sitting in silence,
Listening to nearby sounds or feeling your own pulse,
This is a moment you will never live through again in the exact same way.
So we come to appreciate the ordinary,
To find something remarkable in what might seem simple,
To view each instant as a small masterpiece,
A perfect combination of conditions that will soon pass.
Now,
Bring your awareness back to this moment.
What do you notice,
A feeling against your skin,
A nearby clock ticking,
Your own heartbeat?
Consider that none of these elements will align in the exact same way ever again.
So this moment is its own,
A fleeting piece of your life story.
The light falling across your hands,
The feeling of your pulse,
The particular silence between noises,
Words,
Sounds,
It's all singular.
So what should come and then what should pass?
This moment is a ripple in a stream,
A small wave that will soon dissolve into the flow of time.
So as you breathe in,
Appreciate it.
And as you breathe out,
Let it go.
Every moment,
However simple,
Holds something worth honoring.
It's a matter of pausing,
Of choosing to be present and of seeing it for what it is.
So as you sit here,
Allow a deep appreciation to grow within you.
How rich and how vivid this ordinary moment is when we pay close attention.
And how much we miss when we rush past it.
See if you can appreciate the softness of your breath,
The feeling of your body resting,
The peace that comes from simply honoring what is.
This is a kind of deep happiness,
A quiet,
Enduring contentment that comes from honoring each moment as it unfolds.
So breathe into this understanding and breathe it back to your surroundings.
And as you come to a close,
Take a deep inhale once again and slow exhale.
Bring back your awareness to your surroundings.
You may open your eyes and carry this feeling forward with you.
This ability to find something rich and memorable in all the moments you live.
Every moment is Ichigo Ichie,
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If we choose to see it.
Thank you for joining me today to take a moment to honor the moment.
Also take this as an invitation to return each day to celebrate a new moment every single day.
