Steps 1 - 4 are focused on becoming aware of the body and calming it.
Step 1 - I am aware of In breathe.
Step 2 - I am aware of my Out breathe.
Step 3 - I am aware of my body.
Step 4 - I am calm my body.
What does it feel like to have a natural, meditative relationship with our body?
Objective: To experience my body while being in the moment.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Smiles
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving *
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing, 3 and 4
3. ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body.'
' Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body.’ He or she practices like this.' *1
4. ‘Breathing in, I calm my whole body. '
'Breathing out, I calm my whole body.’ *1
Meditation is a Normal Experience
Normalizing Meditation , an Instagram Reel with Sister True Dedication
Meditation is a conversation, a relationship with yourself. In this relationship you will learn what it means to be you. This will happen by being vulnerable with yourself and by being kind, gentle and loving with yourself. Be curious and discover who you are.
Our self awareness is growing and now includes our whole body. Just as we have enjoyed the peace and happiness of breathing, we can do the same with our bodies. There is more wonderment to behold and enjoy as we:
Breathe in - Hello, my body.
Breathe out - Smile kindly to our body.
You will become aware of how much more peace and happiness are immediately available to you. A broadening self awareness is very important when it comes to working with our strong feelings of anxiety, fears, insecurities, etc. We realize that we are so much more than a large feeling. We have the calmness of our breath and now we will have the calmness present in our body to share with those feelings.
Please breathe in and greet your body. Then breathe out and explore and enjoy the wonders of this body.
a Thich Nhat Hanh talk
Mindfulness of the Body, 17 mins
Collective observations and reflections
We all share and listen.
Let's Meditate and Become Aware of Our Body : )
In this meditation, know this is your relationship with yourself. Let it be conversational, relaxed and natural. We often smile when we greet someone. Smile here to your body as you recognize the body with kindness.
24 minutes meditation with bells at 3 minutes
In - Out
Hello, my feet - I feel where you touch the earth. You can relax and be calm.
Feet - Calm
Hello, my legs - I feel where you touch the earth. You can relax and be calm.
Legs- Calm
Hello, my back - There is nothing for you to lift. You can relax and be calm.
Back - Calm
Hello, my arms - There is nothing for you to carry. You can relax and be calm.
Arms - Calm
Hello, my hands - There is nothing for you to grasp. You can relax and be calm.
Hands - Calm
I invite you to kindly recognize any part of you, to gently listen to it and then to love it.
Hello, my whole body - I am aware of you. You can relax and be calm.
Body - Calm
Exceptions and Citations
* None of this section is included in the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing nor from Thick Nhat Hahn's book, Breathe, You are Alive.
*1 Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight are not included in either the Buddha's Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing nor in Breathe, You are Alive! Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing.
This introduction and description was used to establish a foundation to understand ones self.
* 2 Hạnh, N. (2008). Chapter 2: Exploring the Sutra. In Breathe, you are alive! the Sutra on the full awareness of breathing (pp. 21–22). essay, Parallax Press.
What does it mean to be at home in one's body?
Objective: To experience my body while loving my body in the present moment.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Smiles
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving *
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Your Body is a Deep Meditation
Don't Diss Posture , an Instagram Reel with Sister True Dedication
There isn't ever a need to rush. Where you're at is being and the moment is there awaiting you. Take care and love your body. Loving the body will teach us how to nurture and love ourself. In steps 5 and 6, we will love and nurture our feelings and thoughts the same way. Be aware of how loving your body puts you at ease, how it soothes you and how you feel later in the day, after the meditation has concluded. Notice how it affects your countenance and your perspective on the world around you. This practice with your body will give you more confidence and encouragement to love your feelings and thoughts. The loving is the same and so is the outcome.
Wonderment
Siddhartha: “But suffering is only one face of life. Life has another face, the face of wonder. If we can see that face of life, we will have happiness, peace, and joy. When our hearts are unfettered, we can make direct contact with the wonders of life.” *4
Wonderment and Gratitude are two ways to see the happiness that is right here and in the now. We're very accustomed to waiting for our happiness in an event to come or remembering happiness from the past. But what about right now? We don't have to wait. We can just breathe in and be aware of ourselves and exhale with a smile.
a Thich Nhat Hanh talk
Thich Nhat Hanh What is Mindfulness, 4 mins
Smiling is an important part of one's practice. Like In-Out calms your breath, smiling relaxes your facial muscles and puts them to ease. Plan on many many smiles during your practices and your daily moments of mindfully breathing.
Thich Nhat Hahn quotes on smiling.
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” - Thich Nhat Hahn
"Why should I smile when there is no joy in me? The answer to that is: Smiling is a practice. There are over three hundred muscles in your face. When you are angry or fearful, these muscles tense up. The tension in these muscles creates a feeling of hardness. If you know how to breathe in and produce a smile, however, the tension will disappear. It is what I call 'mouth yoga'. Make smiling an exercise. Just breathe in and smile. The tension will disappear and you will feel much better." - Thich Nhat Hahn
“A smile is an ambassador of goodwill.” *3
a Thich Nhat Hanh talk
What does it mean to go home to yourself? | Thich Nhat Hanh answers questions, 6:36 mins
Collective observations and reflections
We all share and listen.
Let's Return to our True Home
This meditation is inspired by Thay as he began a 21 day retreat in Burlington Vermont on the full awareness of breathing.
"Please enjoy the sound of the bell and also your breathing.
Breathing in, I feel alive. Breathing out, I smile." *
In this meditation, know this is your relationship with yourself. Let it be conversational, relaxed and natural. We often smile when we greet someone. Smile here to your body as you recognize the body with kindness.
20 minute meditation with bells at 2 minutes
Beginning Bell
Breathing in - I follow my whole in-breathe Breathing out - I follow my whole out-breathe
Hello, my Breathe - I am alive --> smile
Smile kindly to my Legs - I am a wonder of life
Hello, my Torso - You can relax --> smile
Gently smile to my Organs - I am grateful to be alive
Hello, my Arms and Hands - I am alive --> smile
I calm my body - I smile to my body
Lovingly smile to the life within me- I gratefully smile to the life around me
Lovingly smile to life - Gratefully smile to life
I rest my body with my in breathe - I calm myself with my out breathe
Rest Body - Calm Myself
This happy moment - is my true home
My grateful happiness - Blooms
Be with your breathe, be with your body, be with the life within.
* Hạnh, N. (2000). Chapter 1: The Path of Emancipation (pp. 2). essay, Parallax Press.
Question: How does the happiness of the moment compare to an event that I'm anticipating?
Objective: To become aware of my awareness.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Greet New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
Meditate with your body | Thich Nhat Hanh | Plum Village App #shorts
Calm-Ease and the Full Awareness of Breathing
The Calm-Ease gatha is grounded in the Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing.
Returning the mind's awareness to the body brings us to the present moment. The breathing, body and mind need to become one again to access our peace and happiness.
In-Out and Deep-Slow are focused on the breathe.
Calm-Ease can be focused on the body.
Smile-Release can be focused on the mind.
Let's Become Aware of Our Breathing, Body and Mind
We're going to step right into a mediation without In - Out. There will be plenty of 'noise' happening. Remember, 'noise' just is and is nothing more. We're going to observe our breathe, our body's and our mind. Then we're going to choose the gatha we most want and apply it to where we're most unsettled.
6 mins and bells at 1 mins. (This can also be done over 12 mins and bells at 2 mins.)
Aware of Breath, Body & Mind - Notice which is most calm
Aware of most calm - Share the calmness with the least calm
Aware of most calm - Share it with the other two
Aware of most calm - Share it where ever it needs to be
Gently reflect on how one affects the other
Feel how the body and mind are together - They Inter-are
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight | Short Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh 4 mins
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Happiness and Anticipation
Mindfulness allows us to be aware of the present moment. With a clear mind, we can choose to Concentrate our minds on a topic, a feeling or on a thought. This leads us to Insight, growth. These three steps: mindfulness, concentration and insight*, is what Thích Nhất Hạnh refers to as "Looking Deeply".
Let's look deeply at a future event where we feel excited, anxious or even neutral about it.
We're going to compare it with the happiness in the moment. They are different and knowing the difference gives us the freedom to choose which one we want to embrace.
Let's Look Deeply with Curiosity and Wonderment
To meditate is the experience. Be present and experience the gathas.
Think of something you are anticipating.
12 mins with bells at 2 minutes.
In - Enjoy your Out Breathe
Calm - Ease the body and mind
In - Out
When you're ready, present the question and gently listen.
Where does my happiness and peace exist while in the moment?
In - Out
When you're ready, bring the anticipation into your full awareness.
Where does my happiness and peace exist while immersed in anticipation?
In - Out
Return your awareness to the moment.
Do I experience sense of stability or solid foundation while being in the moment?
In - Out
When you're ready, bring the anticipation into your full awareness.
Do I experience sense of stability or solid foundation while immersed in anticipation?
With freedom of choice, please choose which experience you want for yourself and be there for the remainder of this meditation.
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
What is like to just BE in the moment?
Objective: To experience life within us without words.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Be Kind. Be Gentle. Be Loving.
InterBeing
Greeting New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Just BE
Sitting and being with our breathing can be very peaceful and enjoyable. Also, sitting and being with our body can be just as delightful. When we sit and are aware of the interbeing of our breathing and our body, the synergy between the two is even more restful than the sum of the two. In these moments, we are experiencing interbeing. We have a definition of interbeing but in these moments we are interbeing. The experience is so much more than our definitions.
Sitting in interbeing doesn't require words. Your entire focus is on the being. When you walk, you don't need to tell yourself how to walk, you just do it. Being in oneness with your breath and body is the same.
As we listen to our awareness, we can hear where the next gatha needs to be. Inter-being can be your own personal guided meditation. This happens with trust and simply takes time being immersed in Inter-being.
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
To Be Means To InterBe | Thich Nhat Hanh
We can experience the beauty of InterBeing with our breathing and our body. When you are immersed in the inter-being of breath and body, you don't need words. You just "be" the breath. You just "be" the body. You just "be" the breath and body as they InterAre.
Collective observations and reflections
We all share and listen.
Be Kind. Be Gently. Be Loving
We begin with mindfully breathing. Next, our concentration begins with kindness.
Be Kind is a greeting. We greet our breath, our body, our feelings, our thoughts, our distractions, life around us and others with kindness. This is a loving act for yourself.
Be Gentle is unconditional listening. We listen for understanding only. Compassion comes from understanding. Insight comes from gentle listening.
Be Loving is an expression rooted in our compassion. We don't love by fixing. We love by soothing. Soothing provides the fertile conditions for transformation to happen.
Let's InterBe in the Here and the Now
Remember, meditation is meant to be experienced. You can't swim without getting wet and you can't meditate without experiencing.
The gatha uses the word "be". During these lines, try to let go of the words and just "be" the experience.
20 minutes with bells at 2 mins.
I am aware of my whole in breathe. - I happily smile to my out breathe.
Feel the smoothness and calmness. - Kindly greet your shoulders.
Enjoy the in breath. - Gently listen to your shoulders.
Enjoy your in breath. - Lovingly sooth your shoulders. Share the needed qualities from the in breath with the shoulders.
Be the smoothness and enjoyment of your breath. - Be the soothing shoulders.
Slowly let go of the words and just BE the enjoyment and BE the soothing.
Be the breathing and the soothing. They Inter-are.
Because I am the breathing - I am the soothing
Be the breathing. Be the soothing.
Enjoy the BEing.
Enjoy the beauty of being alive.
Collective observations and reflections
We all share and listen.
At this point, you have experience so much and the change can be overwhelming. This is normal and perfectly okay. : ) So, what can I do as I feel I need a break?
Objective: To provide yourself with a needed break.
Why this is Important
It's always important to listen to yourself. The discourse is grounded in the interpersonal relationship and listening is essential. You have already listened to your breath. We're listening to our body. You can also listen to your thoughts and feelings.
Listening and responding is a wonderful way to nurture and love yourself. Do so will teach you how to love and nurture another.
As our awareness grows, we stretch our previous paradigm, our perspective changes. So much change so quickly can be overwhelming. Maybe you feel like wrapping up in a blanket and just being still. This is can be very normal as we've live so much of our lives already with less awareness. Change can be delightful and overwhelming. So let's rest when we need it.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving
Provide the Space and Time to Rest
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Podcast
Episode ...
Dharma Talk
Stop and Listen. : )
Sister True Dedication speaks of the importance of listening and how change can come from it.
Stop and Listen | Sister True Dedication 2:51
My awareness has grown so much that I feel I need to stop.
This is very normal and a natural response to experiencing a large amount of change over a short period of time. So what do we do?
First, celebrate that you've heard this within you. This is a wonderful opportunity to listen and respond by loving yourself. In this moment, you don't need to be concerned with the remedy but fill yourself with gratitude for Kindly recognizing this exists within you.
You all ready know how to find the remedy as we have been doing it. We will sit and begin with mindful breathing. Next, we'll calm and ease our tensions then we'll Kindly smile to ourselves and Release tension. At this point, we'll ground ourselves in the realization that we are in the moment and it's a wonderful moment.
Now we're really ready to listen and hear our need to rest. We can hear where it's at in our body or mind. We will breathe in and recognize the calmness and peacefulness our in-breathe. Then with Kindness, we will listen for the parts of us that feel overwhelmed, or exhausted from the vast changes or just need quiet time.
When we find them, we Kindly recognize them and Gently listen to them tell us just how tired and how overwhelmed they feel.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - Hello, overwhelmed feeling, I am hear for you.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - Gently listen to it.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - Yes, I hear just how much feel.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - I am hear to be with you.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - I'm am sharing my breath with you to sooth you.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - I'm not hear to get rid of or fix you, but to sooth you so you can rest.
Enjoy the smooth in-breath - (share the smoothness of your beautiful in-breath.)
Be there for yourself.
Love yourself.
Enjoy the quiet rest you are giving yourself.
There is no rush. Just BE the rest and soothing.
You may want to this meditation several times before you feel rested and ready for more. Maybe it's a few consecutive days, maybe for a few weeks or a few months. Remember, this is a relationship so please Gently listen. There is no rush and by being there for you, you are doing the most important step for you. This is a very deep and gentle way of loving.
When you're ready and eager, jump into the next meditation. : )
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Let's Be There for Ourselves
Mediation is meant to be experienced. As you progress into your meditation, try to just BE.
BE the breathing and the body together.
BE the breathing, the body and the mind together.
BE the breathing, the body, the mind and the feeling together.
Gently BE as you breath.
16 mins. Two bells @ 2mins.
In - Enjoy your Out breathe
Calm your body - Ease your body
Kindly greet your body and Mind - Release tensions with your Smile
Present Moment - Wonderful Moment
Enjoy your smooth in-breath - Gently listen for the overwhelmed feeling
Enjoy your smooth in-breath - Kindly acknowledge the feeling.
I am here to be with you.
Enjoy your smooth in-breath - I'm am sharing my breath with you to sooth you.
I'm not here to get rid of the feeling or fix it, but to sooth you so you can rest.
Enjoy your smooth in-breath - (share the smoothness of your beautiful in-breath.)
[ Be there for yourself.
Love yourself.
Enjoy the quiet rest you are giving yourself.
There is no rush. Just BE the rest and soothing. ]
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
How much freedom is available to me in the present moment?
Objective: To sit, breathe and discover a larger sense of self from the inherent stability and foundation found in the present moment.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Greeting New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Where to Begin with the Strong Emotions/Thoughts?
With the Body, Not the Mind , an Instagram Reel with Sister True Dedication
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
Stopping and Looking Deeply | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video), 17:45
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Let's Be There
Mediation is meant to be experienced. Open yourself to experiencing the moment.
Gathas are great a leading us; however, a conversational approach is good too. This is your relationship with you. : )
As you become mindfully aware, you can place your concentration anywhere you please. I encourage you to place it on the gatha and look deeply into its meaning for you.
About 17 mins. Bells @ 2mins.
In-Out
Deep-Slow
Bell to introduce gathas.
* These are spoken slowly and more conversational with yourself. Allow about 3 to 4 mins before next bell.
Hello my body - Smile to your body with gratitude
Hello my feet, you may relax. There is no need to stand.
Hello my legs, you may relax. There is nowhere to walk.
Hello my back, you may relax. There is no need to support.
Hello my shoulders. you may relax. There is no need to lift.
Hello my arms and hands, you may relax. There is no need to reach or grab.
In: I fill my body with air. - Out: I feel my body sink to where the earth touches me.
Fill with Air. - Body Sink
In: Hello, Earth. - Out: Thank you for being there so I may walk, sit and I lie down to rest.
Hello, Earth - Gratitude
In: I feel myself rise from the Earth to my shoulders. - Out: I feel myself sink deeply into the Earth.
Rise to my shoulders - Sink Deeply into the Earth
...I feel my awareness move through the Earth and up to my shoulders. Then back down into the Earth.
In: I see myself as a mountain. - Out: I feel solid.
Mountain/Solid
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
How mment?
Objective: To si.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving
Smile
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Thay provides an explanation of each gatha during the mediation.
Immersive Meditation: Coming Home to the Body | With the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, 20 minutes
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
What is nirvana for the body?
Objective: To experience interbeing with a tangerine and all the karma that it holds.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Smiles
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving *
Dharma Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Personally for me, this past week I have felt a little melancholy. We haven't yet covered steps 7 and 8 which are about feelings. No worries as we approach our feelings the same way we have approached our breath and right now, our bodies.
With our breath, we have not distinguished any variation of breath as better or worse. Once the droplet riding the wave looks deeply and sees its true nature is water, it is able to enjoy the entire 'riding top of wave experience'. As we look deeply into our breath, we realize it is breathing. All of the variation in our breathing has lead us to the next breath. All the variation is the breathing experience. We don't need to fix our breath, we just mindfully enjoy it and the breath calms and is pleasant as it reflects the mindful energy we've given it. The breath before, during and after mindful attention is all breathing. Each breath is a wonder of life and each can be completely enjoyed.
We're Gently listening to our bodies and value it, appreciate it, heal it, love it and enjoy it for the miracle it is. We feel tension in our body and we mindfully breath calmness and gentleness to those areas. We do the same for other areas that already feel pleasant. Doing this calms and heals our body and because of inter-being, calms and heals our minds. We can value all the generations before us that have given us life today. Even those unrelated who have helped a generation to thrive are apart of us. Their karma has impacted our lives today. So much has come together for you and I to be here. As I look deeply, my perspective of my body changes from my body, to this body is a living flower or I am life. This is another wonderment to enjoy.
My feelings are no different. They inter-are with my breath and my body. My breath is not all of me. My body is not all of me and nor are my feelings all of me. They are one part that is in inter-being with everything. My feelings can change like my breath. Many times the harmony between my breath and feelings is very obvious. So I can calm my breath and my feelings can be soothed. We don't want to fix or try to get rid of a particular feeling. When I look deeply into my melancholy, I see it as feelings. A certain set of conditions have occurred to create this one feeling. When I sit and mindfully breath, I create another set of conditions that brings feelings of peace and happiness. Just like the water droplet riding the wave. If we could rid the ocean of that one droplet, then the whole ocean would be gone. If I look at my melancholy as a feeling that I need to rid myself of, then I'll loose all feelings.
So just like my breath or my body, I share the peace and happiness of the moment with my melancholy. "Hello, Melancholy. I see you." and I smile kindly to it. "I am here for you. I am mindfully breathing so I can sooth you. I am not here to get rid of you but to love you and give you what you need." I am aware of the smoothness and calmness of my breath as I breath in. As I breath out, I share that calmness with my melancholy. "This is for you, Melancholy. You may enjoy this peace." At any moment, insight can happen and I can look more deeply to see the source of the meloncholy. If not, that's okay too because I am taking of this feeling. I am loving myself and I gratefully smile.
Dharma Talk
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
Tangerine Meditation | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh, 5 mins
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
The Tangerine Meditation
We'll begin with Thay leading us in the short version of Calm-Ease, a classic. : )
When it concludes, we'll remain in mindful silence and select a tangerine. We'll mindfully experience the tangerine for the next 30 minutes.
If you taste the tangerine mindfully, you will find the karma of all those that provided the conditions necessary for you to enjoy the miraculous tangerine. Looking deeply can take you back as far as you want to go. You will also see flora and fauna that provided conditions for this tangerine to be here. All the previous life that died and their nutrients absorbed back into other plants and animals that have eventually made their way to this tangerine. If you look deeply you will find all wonders of life.
If you loose your concentration, please feel free to close your eyes and return to your breathing. If you greet yourself with Kindness and Gently listen to your mindful experience, you will Lovingly know what you need to do.
Let's Begin
Thích Nhất Hạnh's Calm-Ease meditation. 15 mins
Set a 30 minute timer and maybe bells at 5 mins using the Plum Village app.
For me, sometimes I found the bells useful to bring my wondering mind back to attention. Other times it's a nice transition to the next focus that is apparent to me.
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
What does it feel like to have a natural, meditative relationship with our body?
Objective: To experience my body while being in the moment.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Smiles
Be Kind, Be Gentle, Be Loving *
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
How Mindfulness Improves the Quality of Breathing, @PlumVillageApp
Meditate with your Body, @PlumVillageApp
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Meditating with Our Body
This meditation will begin with Sister Chan's mediation. Her meditation does not end with a bell so I will mindfully ring the bell to continue her established focus on the body.
Notice her cadence is more conversational with herself. Also, when she feels it's right, she pauses and let's herself mindfully breath which creates mindful energy from which she loves herself. She soothes her body with kindness and gentleness.
She speaks of offering her body love. She is rooted in an unconditional, loving relationship with herself.
She beings with mindful breathing before she mindfully listens to her body with gentleness.
Meditation opens us to a beautiful relationship with ourselves. It is interactive and dynamic. Just Being in the moment is peaceful, joyful, restful and healing. Thay says it's our true home. We get to know and discover who we are then we intentionally manifest ourselves in our daily lives, in our relationships and with the living world. As we touch our true self, we touch the true self of everything.
Let's Experience Mediating with our Body
The mediation will conclude with 2 consecutive bell rings.
Guided Deep Relaxation and Gratitude for Our Body | Sister Chan Khong, 11:40 mins
Need to Write the rest of this mediation.
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
How comfortable can I be with myself during meditation?
Objective: To be aware and experience the meditative conversation with Brother Phap Linh.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Be Kind. Be Gentle. Be Loving.
Being naturally inquisitive with yourself. Explore!
Greeting New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Where to Begin with the Strong Emotions/Thoughts?
Meditation is the most imitate conversation you can have with yourself. It's also a most joyful, peaceful, kind, gentle and loving conversation. The conversation can be many things but most of all, it's a relationship with yourself so you can suffer less, be more joyful and peaceful while discovering who you are. So naturally, everyone's conversation will be a little different. As you spend time mindfully listening and lovingly responding to your insights, that conversation will grow in richness.
Let's Explore with Curiosity
In this meditation, Brother Phap Linh invites us into his intrapersonal conversation to mindfully calm his breathing, body and mind. He then listens to the wonders around him and responds/interacts with the birds playing his cello.
While mindfully listening, become aware of how it feels to move through the experience with Brother Phap Linh's invitations. Don't think about what is happening and the words he uses but be in the experience of. He will guide you through In - Out | Aware of Body - Calm Body. As you mindfully listen and concentrate on the experience, let insight come to you.
The question I'd like for you to consider is:
How is this mediation similar and different than what I've done before?
A Mediation with Broth Phap Linh
Nightingales with Brother Phap Linh (on Cello) and friends | Guided meditation with birdsong & music, 48 mins
Collective observations and reflections
Gently stop the meditation after 20 minutes.
We share and listen.
Can we review "In - Out" again?
Objective: To refresh our understanding and experience of mindfully breathing.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Greeting New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
The following is an excerpt taken from "The Path of Emancipation" from pgs 25-26.
"The first exercise of mindful breathing that the Buddha proposed is "In/Out". It means "Breathing In, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out." In this teaching, we consider our breath as part of our body. Our breathing is a physical formation. It is the door through which we go home to our self and reconcile ourselves with our self. The object of our mindfulness is our in-breath and our out-breathe, nothing else. We identify our in-breath as our in-breath and our out-breathe as our out-breath. It is easy. Then, instead of reading to ourselves, "Breathing in, I know I am breathing in," we just use the word "in". When breathing out, we say "out". The words "in" and "out" are the instruments in order to maintain our mindfulness. While breathing in, we are aware that we should nourish our in-breath. "In" is no longer a word; it is the reality our in-breathe. If we do this, all our thinking will stop."
Enjoy Your Breathing
" We don't suppress our thinking at all. There is no effort to stop thinking. If we really enjoy our in-breath one hundred percent, then thinking suddenly stops. Sometimes we try to force ourselves to be mindful. This is not good. Mindfulness is very enjoyable. When our practice is pleasant, concentration is easy. It's like a Dharma talk. If the Dharma talk is interesting, we are very awake, and if the Dharma talk is boring, we try and try but still we remain sleepy. The key is to make it interesting. The secret is to make it pleasant."
"We breathe so that our in-breath and out-breathe are pleasant, so that we are awake and mindful, and our concentration is strong. If concentration is here, then insight will be born. Mindfulness, concentration and insight give birth to one another. Mindfulness carries the energy of concentration withing itself, and concentration carries the energy of insight with itself."
Be Comfortable
"During sitting meditation, you can sit and enjoy your in-breath and out-breath and nothing else. Make your in-breath mindful and genuine. This is already resting and healing. Sometimes you may like to lie down and enjoy your in-breath and out-breath. Please sit in such a way that your body can rest. You can sit erect like this, and yet your muscles are completely relaxed. Your head and spinal column form a straight line. DO not slouch. Sit erect and release all your muscles. Sit in a lotus or half-lotus position with our without a cushion. The cushion may be thick or thin. You need to find a cushion that suits your physical condition. Find a way to sitting that allows you to sit for at least twenty minutes without feeling tired or stiff."
Mindfully Sit
"As soon as you sit down, begin breathing and pay attention to your breath. Then pay attention to your sitting position. Relax the muscles in your face -- there are about three hundred muscles in your face. Every time you get angry, worried, or afraid, these muscles are tense. People can see the tension in your face. If you breathe in mindfully and become aware of your face, and breathe out mindfully and smile lightly, you relax the hundreds of muscles in your face. Then you move down to your shoulders and also let go. Do not try hard to practice. If you struggle, you are using effort, and you cannot relax. Very soon you will feel the tension in your shoulder muscles, and you may get a headache."
Don't try hard
"When you sit and watch television, you don't make any effort. That is why you can sit there for a long time. When you site in meditation, you struggle a lot, and that is why you cannot sit very long. Please imitate the way you sit in the living room. Effortlessness is the key to success. Don't fight. Don't try hard. Just allow yourself to sit. This relaxing way of sitting is also resting. Allow your body to rest." **
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Let's be here again, with our breathing
14 mins with bells at 2 mins.
Breathing In, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
I enjoy breathing deeply. - I value the pleasantness of the outbreath.
Feel your body rise. - Feel your body gently fall.
Become aware of different parts of your body. - Breath the peace from your breath into them.
Calm your body and mind. - Release tension.
Breathing in, I see myself as still water. - Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.
Water/Reflecting
With your gentleness, look into the meaning this moment is for you.
Don't try hard. Just be with a smile.
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
** Hạnh, N. (2000). Chapter 1: The Path of Emancipation (pp. 2). essay, Parallax Press.
What does it feel like to hold myself in unconditional love and wrapped in compassion?
Objective: To be here and now and lovingly hold yourself.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out *1
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm *1
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight*
Be Kind. Be Gentle. Be Loving.
Greeting New People
Hello and welcome.
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
Unconditional Love
Love is given freely and wholly. Love is received freely and wholly. When we hesitate to give or receive love we are not practicing unconditional love.
Loving freely and wholly begins with loving ourself. While mindfully breathing and Kindly focusing our concentration upon our breathe, our body, our thoughts and/or our feelings, we put ourselves in a position to Lovingly listen. With Gentleness, we listen to our breathing, our bodies, our thoughts and feelings. Breathing mindfully and being aware of our body while listening helps maintain our Gentle listening. We just listen and our full attention is on hearing. We are fully present with our breathing, our body, our listening in the here and the now. This is a beautiful gift you can give yourself. This is unconditionally Loving yourself.
Compassion
The first Noble Truth is that suffering exists. No one can escape it. We all have suffering.
Suffering has a sensational craving to be soothed, transformed and healed. When we reach for a solution outside of mindful breathing, concentration, insight and compassion, we end up spreading the suffering within us. The solution may temporarily soothe the suffering but soon we are craving it again. Its affects are temporary.
Listening Gently, we are able to look deeply into the suffering and see the suffering's core, its origination. We see suffering that has been passed down through generations, we see suffering from held perceptions that are ready to be matured and moments when we felt unloved in difficult moments. From insight, we know how to Be Loving so our suffering can transform into a flower that we carry with us every time we walk into a room.
Understanding is compassion. We understand why it hurts and what it needs to heal. We can truly be there for our suffering so it can begin to heal and transform. Simply holding our suffering in a Loving embrace so it can have the space and time to do what it needs to do is a loving act. This is a very beautiful and wonderful gift you can give yourself.
A Thích Nhất Hạnh talk
The Practice of Mindfulness and Compassion | Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanh, 2012.10.14, start at 14:56 and end at 20:02
Collective observations and reflections
Gently stop the meditation after 20 minutes.
We share and listen.
Let's Be Here and Now
Early in the mediation, it's important to generate and be aware of your happiness.
Be aware of the wonder of life.
Offering yourself a Smile.
Appreciate how much time has passed since the beginning of the Earth until this moment. Wow, you're here!
You are responsible to know the way / approach to generate your happiness.
Review the gathas prior.
15 minutes with bells at 2 mins. | 21 minutes with bells at 3 mins.
Deep-Slow
Be sure to recognize moments of enjoying your breath. Smile
Calming my body - Easing Tension in my body
Calm - Ease
Appreciate and Enjoy your body and what it offers you.
Smiling to my thoughts - Releasing my thoughts
Smile - Release
Aware of Self - Wrapping Love Around Myself
The intent here is to generate a loving feeling. Feel your heart swell with each wrap.
Aware of my Body - Unconditionally Loving my Entire Body
If you're doing this correctly, you'll feel love easily flowing everywhere within the body and breath. If you feel a blockage,
then breathe in that area - breathe out an offering smile to that area.
The unconditional love will be flow in.
Aware of my Body - Offer and Accept Compassionate Understanding to your Body.
This is a very loving act as forgiveness is offered in the compassionate understanding. When you offer then accept this the compassionate understanding that we're human, that suffering exists and it's okay that it's there, the offered and accepted love transforms us. Heals us. We have a new flower from which we will always carry within us.
Just Be Here
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Homework
Please do this mediation a few more times by yourself we do Part 2.
Remember, explore, be playful, be curious, have wonderment and discover. This is a conversation with yourself. : )
On it's way.
Here are a few 5 minute topics to get you going again.
Hey, Where did my Joy go? | The Body and Mind Inter-are
Change your focus from you mind to your body. Let your mind do it's thing while you focus on the relaxing and caring for your body.
A Thich Nhat Hahn talk
The Body Contains the Mind, a Plum Village short
Let's Meditate
You are free to change the cadence between your breathing and your focus. In this meditation, we'll start with the traditional in - out cadence. Then it'll transition to 'in-out' - 'in-out'. So for one 'in-out', you will have one focus. Then the following 'in-out' you will have another focus.
Breath in: Deep - Breath out: Slow
Breath in, and out: Hello, my shoulders.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Breath in, and out: Hello, my arms.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Breath in, and out: Hello, my jaw.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Scan your body and do this for awhile.
Breath in: In this moment - Breath out: I am home
moment - home : )
Hey, Where did my Joy go? | Yellow Crocodiles
It's the end of the day and I'm sitting down to meditate before I go to bed.
In - Out
In - Out
In - Out
In - Out
In - There's a yellow crocodile
In - Why is it riding a skateboard?
In - Wow
In - ........... WHOA
I'm so tired I started dreaming!
Go to bed and rest.
Lay down. Get comfortable. In - Out and you'll be asleep in no time.
Good night and sleep well.
Hey, Where did my Joy go? | My Mind Won't Stop
Change your focus from you mind to your body. Let your mind do it's thing while you focus on the relaxing and caring for your body.
A Thich Nhat Hahn talk
Get Insight with Mindfulness and Concentration | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts
Let's Meditate
You are free to change the cadence between your breathing and your focus. In this meditation, we'll start with the traditional in - out cadence. Then it'll transition to 'in-out' - 'in-out'. So for one 'in-out', you will have one focus. Then the following 'in-out' you will have another focus.
Breath in: Deep - Breath out: Slow
Breath in, and out: Hello, my shoulders.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Breath in, and out: Hello, my arms.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Breath in, and out: Hello, my jaw.
Breath in, and out: Ease, and be peaceful.
Scan your body and do this for awhile.
Breath in: In this moment - Breath out: I am home
moment - home : )
Hey, Where did my Joy go? | Everyone Wants My Time
When you breathe in, then out, you are entering into a relationship with you. As you get to know yourself, you'll learn how to find your joy quickly. You will be feeling many feelings and having many thoughts, but you'll learn the conditions that best spark your memory to touch your joy.
For me, this thought always brings me to my joy.
I am alive, right now. The Earth has been here for 4.6 billion years and finally, right now, this body has awareness. What a gift to have awareness and to be right here. To see this sunshine. To feel the breeze. Even with these stresses, it is amazing to be alive.
Let's Meditate
I might be very busy with many obligations like my children, work is moving fast right now and from time pressures from other sources.
But I still can:
Breath in: So much time has passed - Breath out: and right now I have awareness : )
Just one breath is enough and I remember my where my joy is located. Through the rest of the day, I try to do this one breath ever so often until I'm at the end of my day. The moments when no one is pulling for my time. It's just me. I shower to clean off the day and sit in my favorite chair. Ahhh.
Breath in: So much time has passed - Breath out: and right now I have awareness : )
Because I have done this one breath throughout the day, I have built a momentum with it and I move into gratitude very quickly. I may sit and let the gratitude build with several breathes and with each exhale, I become more and more immersed in the feeling of gratitude and joy. Exhale and smile.
Hey, Where did my Joy go? | Be One with Breath and Body
Sometimes my mind is so talkative, it seems like I'll never reach a quietness. I listen to my breath: In - Out, and very quickly my random thoughts have taken over my focus. Bringing my awareness to my body in cadence with my breath can be very helpful in these moments. So instead of focusing on just my breath or just the body, I focus on both at the same time. I feel my chest and lungs expand as my breath comes in. Switching awareness to the out breathe, I feel my chest and lungs collapsing as the out breath leaves. With each in breath, feel/listen/explore how many parts of your body are responding to your in breathe. Do the same with the out breathe.
This helps me because it gives my overactive mind much more to focus on. If my mind wants to be overly busy with thoughts, then I smile to those many thoughts and offer my mind all of my breath and body at the same time. I look at the moment just as when I had little ones. Sometimes they just need to go play and burn off their energy before bedtime. "Hello my mind, go be busy. I'll spend the moment with my breath and body. I'm doing this so I can take care of myself and so you can burn off your energy. In just a few, all of my awareness will ripen."
Let's Meditate
I feel my lungs fill with my in breathe - I feel my lungs deflate from my out breathe
Lungs / In - Lungs / Out
I feel my lungs fill, shoulders rise with my in breathe - I feel my lungs deflate and shoulders fall with my out breathe
I feel my lungs fill, shoulders rise, ribs tighten with my in breathe - I feel my lungs deflate, shoulders fall and ribs relax with my out breathe
You got this. Explore, Listen and Continue Onward. ❤️