Impermanence

Feb 2026

“I cannot keep my mind still,”  says the student.  “Excellent, you’re seeing impermanence in action,”  says the teacher.

Our mind is a prediction machine.  When we hang on to our mind as the final authority on anything, we find ourselves trying to control our experience to make our predictions turn out to be true.  Thereby, we get locked in, and set ourselves up for insights that are devoid

of the heart connection.  The challenge here is that when we are guided exclusively by our thoughts, they are but a reflection of our experiences

and our cultural expectations. 

Enter the exploration of heart-centred practices, such as meditation, tai chi, forest bathing, and yoga.   Now there is the possibility of allowing feelings, deep-seated creative expression, empathy and compassion to express themselves more fully in our decisions.  These are practices that first require the conscious use of our bodies.  Then, with intention, the possibility of accessing the other layers of our being - the heart, the spirit and the soul – can happen.  We’re simply accessing the lost, or forgotten parts of our being.  There’s a quote by Adyashanti that states, “No one ever got enlightened by adding anything.”  Through our practice, we are not looking to add, but to remove the layers of illusion that prevent us from truly seeing and living our authentic and true selves.  We are also looking to dissolve the illusion that we can permanently satisfy ourselves through our senses.  The limitless you is not accessible by what you do, but by how you do what you do.  In the ‘peeling’ away of the layers that hinder us from being our authentic selves, we have the opportunity to live each moment with the knowledge that we are living in accordance with our deepest, highest, and most compassionate self. 

First we must recognize that layers of illusion are part of living and being in this world.  Once we are aware of this, we may then begin to let go of the layers that we believe to be permanent fixtures of our existence.  It’s a practice that requires a tremendous level of self-discipline.  But if we pause long enough to truly be still, we will feel impermanence in action, because each breath is another moment, and another, and another, and another.  No matter how much we try, nothing stays the same. 

The ancient yogis and mystics all state that physical permanence is an illusion.  Our true being is reflected in our actions, not in our material world.  The echoes of these actions reverberate with the pulse of Nature, for that is what constantly lives in us through our breath.   The inhalation does not last.  The exhalation does not last. 

Each one has its unique moment and then it’s gone.

So, I invite you do dance the dance of impermanence, and as you do, watch the layers of illusion dissolve, leaving only the essence of your spirit.  All else will dissolve into the mist and magic of the unknown.  

Many Blessings - always.

Jai Bhagwan