Accepting Our Impermanence

(gentle music begins) Hi, and welcome. Over the next five days, we're going to look at something quite simple, yet, somehow, quite hard to sit with. And that is that everything is always changing. Nothing stays the same and nothing lasts forever. Take a moment to take that in. (gentle music continues) Now, when we hear a word like impermanence, there's often a bit of discomfort that comes when you hear it, which makes sense. Most of us spend a good deal of energy avoiding this stuff. It brings up uncertainty, loss, and sadness, all the things we can't quite control. And maybe on some level, we already know this. We understand it as an idea, but knowing something in the mind is different from feeling it, from really experiencing it, and that takes practice. Luckily, this is where mindfulness can help. So rather than turning away from change, we're going to practice turning toward it gently, with a bit of curiosity, openness, and maybe even some compassion for ourselves along the way. Over the course of the next five sessions, we'll notice the breath, thoughts, feelings, sensations, all of it rising and passing. As we observe this happening inside us, we'll start to recognize it everywhere. Our bodies change, our relationships change, the people we love change, the world's always shifting. And here's the thing, it's the holding on, the resistance that tends to cause us the most suffering. Once we really see that everything is moving and changing, there's less to hold onto, and that means we can begin to let go. So take a moment to get comfortable, whether you're sitting in a chair or on the floor, allowing the spine to be upright, without feeling rigid, and beginning with the eyes open to a soft, relaxed gaze. When you're ready, taking a couple of slow, deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. With the next out breath, gently allowing the eyes to close, if that feels right for you, and allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm, bringing a kind and gentle awareness to the body and feeling into those different points of contact, noticing any physical sensations that are present, and becoming aware of the sounds around you. Now, just gently checking in and noticing how the body feels, slowly scanning your attention from the top of the head down to the soles of the feet and noticing any areas that feel comfortable and any areas that feel uncomfortable. And not changing anything here, but just noticing how change is happening. Perhaps also noticing the general mood of the mind, busy, calm, relaxed, restless. Now, taking a moment to connect with your intention for today's practice, reflecting on why you're actually doing this course and exercise today. Perhaps your intention is to become more present, to better understand your own mind, or to offer yourself these next few moments of pause. Also acknowledging, remembering that when we care for...