Fleeting Nature of Life

As a thought arises and passes away, as a breath fills the body only to exhale, with gentle attention, we're reminded of the fleeting nature of life in each and every moment. So to really understand change in our lives, we don't need to look very far. Of course, things are changing around us all the time, but actually as we sit to meditate, we see changes happening moment to moment. We see the thoughts coming and going, no two thoughts the same. We see the breath coming and going, No two breaths the same. If we really pay attention to each and every moment, then we are constantly reminded of the changing, fleeting nature of life. And although that might fill us with fear at first, in time, it brings a sense of liberation, a sense of freedom as we understand that nothing stays the same. Everything is changing, and with that comes a sense of ease. So just taking a moment to be still. Make sure you're sitting comfortably. We're gonna start with the eyes open. And when you're ready in your own time, just taking some big, deep breaths. And with the out breath, closing the eyes, feeding that contact, the body pressing down against the seat or the floor beneath you, just taking a moment or two just to focus, pay attention and that sensation fill on the floor and the arms resting on the legs. Starting to notice any sounds now. And as you bring the attention back to the body, taking a moment to notice how the body feels right now. So not how it felt before, not how it felt last time, but how it feels in this moment. and the easiest way of doing that, starting at the top of that, just scanning down from head to toe, noticing what feels comfortable, what feels uncomfortable. We're not trying to change anything, just building up a picture of how the body feels. And as you scan down through the body, just beginning to notice that movement of breath, beginning with just noticing where you feel that movement. And as you continue to follow that movement, now starting to notice, in a little more detail, a journey of each in breath and each out breath. And now, as you begin to count the breaths, and we're just counting to 10 each time before starting again at one. And if at any stage you get distracted, just letting go of the distraction, coming back to the breath and just picking it up from the number you left off on. So each time you realize the mind's wandered, just letting go of whatever it is, leaving it behind, bringing the attention back to the breath back to that movement, the sensation, just picking up the number from where you left off. And now, as you let go of that focus on the breath, just for a short moment or two just letting the mind be completely...