Today’s blog isn’t a particularly innocuous ‘hearts and flowers’ or ‘treat yourself to a spa day’ post on mindfulness, I admit. However, sometimes we need to take a pause to have an appreciation for all of life's fleeting pleasures. For this to happen, it’s important to also be aware of life’s impermanence and also that big taboo of mortality. When we aware of those things, we make a choice to not take people, things or situations for granted.

We can get into the habit most of the time where we live our lives as if they would never end; we hurry from one season, one task, to another without truly enjoying them.

In a nutshell, mindfulness teaches us that the moment-to-moment nature of life is constantly changing, fleeting and precious, and that it is only if we pay close attention to it that we are reminded of this fact.

For example, if we have a meditative practice, this allows us to observe life moment by moment, filled with breathing. On the inhale, we see the lungs fill with air, on the exhale it disappears. Observing the passage of time in a way that is both compassionate and gentle, we are reminded repeatedly of life's impermanence. Emotions move like clouds in the sky, sounds ripple like waves.

Every single breath. Every single thought. Every single moment is unique and will be experienced only once.

When we first realize that everything changes, it can be confronting or frightening, but it will, in time, bring us freedom and inner peace because we have a greater perspective. By understanding that everything changes, we don't grasp as tightly to things in the present moment.

Also, when we consider death and impermanence it can highlight what really matters. We may then let go of a lot of our distractions, problems, thoughts, and ruminations that just don't seem as important anymore, or are indeed holding us back.

In addition, if we are able to hold this awareness of impermanence close to our hearts in life, it brings a great sense of lightness, vitality, and love, far from being a dark or heavy thing to carry around with us.

Allow impermanence to be your guide today. Let it remind you of the special nature and value of this day that you are living, right now, a day that will never be repeated.

It’s confronting, but it doesn’t have to be a downer - quite the opposite in fact, when we realise how unique and special we are, and how every single person is deserving of love.