Sandcastles...
Hi everyone
As many of you will know, we are huge fans of the Calm app and use it daily to practise our meditation. Recently, a wonderful meditation focused on the nature of impermanence and we wanted to share the words that the narrator Tamara Levitt wrote and spoke at the end...
Sandcastles by Tamara Levitt (Calm app)
In our practise we learn to be with whatever arises. Whether discomfort, ease, grief or joy, mindfulness teaches us to trust it all and know that nothing is permanent. It teaches us to approach life with acceptance, recognising that all things eventually pass. However, this is not always a simple endeavour...
Imagine an ordinary day at the beach where two children are building a sandcastle. As they play on the sandy shores building layer upon layer of a sandy structure, they get lost in the enjoyment of the moment. When a wave crashes up and sweeps away their castle, you'll notice that all children have a different response. Some will cry as they watch their beloved sandcastle disappear. The more they cling to the notion of wanting it back, the more sadness they endure. Other children quickly move forward. They allow the wave to devour their castle and observe as the sand drifts back in to the ocean. Then they simply pick up their shovel, and begin again. No grasping, no clinging, no suffering...
Like the sandcastle, nothing in this life remains the same. The seasons change, our body ages, relationships end. So, we have a choice. We can either resist change, or we can surrender to it. The more we practise openness to surrender and change, the more easily we flow from one situation to the next. One stage of life to another...
What does this mean to you? Are you grasping something you need to let go of? Are you resisting change so fiercely it's making you unhappy? Are you open to taking that leap?
Sometimes the sandcastle needs to be rebuilt, with stronger foundations from lessons learnt.
Sometimes you need to defend the sandcastle with everything you have.
Sometimes you need to let the sandcastle disappear, and then walk away.
Something in your mind jumped out when you read those 3 statements. Something you know you need to do. Trust your instinct, go do it....
Sam and Ash
P.S. We have some gift codes for a 30 day trial of the Calm app. If you would like one please let us know and we will do our best to get one to you! We promise you won't regret it
