Time can feel overwhelming, fleeting, or full of regret—but it can also become a doorway into gratitude, freedom, presence, and deeper peace. So this week I explored four ways we can practice with time itself: the vastness of time, the mystery of timelessness, the reality of impermanence, and the preciousness of the time we have left. Along the way, I reflect on gratitude, mortality, regret, letting go, and what it means to live wisely and wholeheartedly in the days that remain to us.
Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea
Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas
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Talk: Four Ways to Practice with Time
Timecodes & main topics:
- 00:00 – The Vastness of Time
I reflect on the formation of the moon, the age of the universe, and the immense sweep of history as invitations into gratitude and humility. - 05:49 – Timelessness and the Unconditioned
I explore Buddhist teachings on the “deathless” and the possibility of an underlying stillness that exists amidst continual change. 09:36 – Impermanence and Letting Go - I discuss how recognizing constant change can soften clinging, reduce suffering, and help us hold life more lightly.
- 14:15 – The Ecstasy of the Arising Moment
I reframe impermanence by focusing not only on what is ending, but also on what is continually arriving and being given in each new moment. - 19:01 – Mortality, Fear, and Inner Peace
I share personal reflections on facing death, including my melanoma scare, the “scared monkey” inside us, and the possibility of peace alongside fear. - 27:33 – Three Questions for the Time That Remains
I explore how we can invest in ourselves, let go of what no longer serves us, and make room for what we truly want to let into our lives. - 36:25 – Regret, Life Review, and Self-Compassion
I reflect on mistakes, grief, unfairness, and the importance of recognizing your own goodness as you look back on your life.
A Meditation: Staying Present While Things Change
In this meditation, I guide you into staying present while life continues to change around and within you. Using the breath, spacious awareness, and a sense of openheartedness as supports, we explore how to rest more deeply in steadiness, vastness, and warmth amidst the flow of experience.
