Accepting change with mindfulness and meditation brings a greater sense of happiness and peace. If there is one thing that we can count on, it is that change is inevitable. Everything is impermanent.
We can either fight against this reality, tightening our bodies and clinging to rigid and inflexible thinking, which most often leads to unwholesome mind states such as anger, or we can learn to practice acceptance and flow with the change.
Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things.
–The Buddha
When you find yourself in the midst of a mental war with unwelcome change, try to pause, take a step back, and bring awareness of your current state of mind. Name the current state of mind silently to yourself. See if you can discern what was happening when this mental state arose, such as clinging to wanting things to be other than they are, or clinging to a certain inflexible view of a situation.
Remember that everything, including unwholesome mental states, is impermanent. Everything rises and falls. Reflecting on acceptance of the impermanent nature of all things can restore the mind to balance and the body to a state of peace and joy. Accepting change helps us to meet it with greater resilience.
Warmly,
Jen
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness teacher, coach, and therapist teaching meditation for healing, creativity, and resilience. Sign up for Jen Johnson’s email list to receive mindfulness in your inbox.