Flowering Smiles began with a simple, profound belief: that peace is possible right here, right now, with every mindful breath.
We are a community and a resource dedicated to sharing the wisdom of mindfulness, rooted firmly in the lineage of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh (Thay) and the global Plum Village tradition.
Our mission is to help you transform your daily life by offering accessible guidance in the Full Awareness of Breathing. We are inspired by the clarity and compassion with which Thay taught the Ānāpānasati Sutta (The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing). We believe that this practice is not a retreat from the world, but the very foundation for living a life of true engagement, joy, and non-fear.
In every episode and lesson from Flowering Smiles, you will learn to practice and experience:
Deep Relaxation: Simple guidance to release tension in the body and mind.
Present Moment Awareness: Techniques to stop running and be truly alive in the here and now.
Increased Concentration: Developing the focus needed to look deeply and gain insight.
The Cultivation of Joy: Finding and nurturing the elements of happiness already available to you.
We invite you to breathe with us, practice with us, and discover the deep calm and genuine smile that is always waiting to bloom within you.
Why Flowering Smiles?
When we explore no birth and no death, we can see ourselves as a continuation. A flowering garden is a wonderful example where we can see continuation. The soil provides the nutriments, the clouds provide water and the air provides carbon dioxide so the plants can grow and manifest their beautiful flowers for all to enjoy. At the end of the season, the flowers and plants die and become the nutrients for the next year's plants to express their flowers. We are in the same continuation as the flowers. Our bodies require nutriments from organisms that have passed, the air brings us oxygen and the clouds bring us water. Our bodies manifest into beautiful expressions of life. Then, our bodies too must pass so life can continue. The joy and wonderment we feel when seeing a flowering garden can also be experienced when we
Mindfully breathe in the continuation and
Slowly breathe out with a smile.
In the moment, our awareness flowers with expansive peace and joy.
Who is Matt and why is he doing this?