The Art of
Mindful Living
Mindfulness is a kind of energy that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is going on in the present moment, within us and around us. We become aware of our breathing and come home to our body, fully present for ourselves and whatever we are doing.
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The energy of mindfulness helps us touch life deeply throughout the day, whether we’re brushing our teeth, washing the dishes, walking to work, eating a meal, or driving the car. We can be mindful while standing, walking or lying down; while speaking, listening, working, playing and cooking.
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Mindfulness is not hard work. It’s very pleasant and relaxing, and we don’t need extra time to do it. There’s an art to finding creative ways to generate the energy of mindfulness, peace, and happiness in everyday life.
And when we practice mindfulness together with others in community, as we do in Plum Village, we generate a powerful collective energy that can help bring healing and transformation to ourselves and the world.
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Mindful Breathing
Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something. In Plum Village, mindfulness practice begins with mindfulness of our breath and our steps. It is very simple, but very deep.
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As we breathe in, we simply become aware that we are breathing in, and as we breathe out, we become aware that we are breathing out. It can be very relaxing and pleasant to follow our breathing flow naturally in and out of our body.
We may choose to follow our breathing at our belly or at our nostrils. As the air enters our body, we can feel it refreshing every cell. And as the air leaves our body, we can gently relax any tension we find.
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Following our in-breath and out-breath brings us back to the present moment. We arrive in our body in the here and the now.
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Our breathing is a stable solid ground that is always there for us to take refuge in. Whenever we are carried away by regret about something that has happened, or swept away in our fears or anxiety in the future, we can return to our breathing, and re-establish ourselves in the present moment.
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We don’t need to control the breath in any way. We simply encounter it, just as it is. It may be long or short, deep or shallow. With the gentle energy of mindfulness it will naturally become slower and deeper.
Mindful Walking
Walking meditation is a powerful practice for being fully present in every moment. Each mindful step helps you touch the wonder of life that is already here and accessible right now. You can align your steps with your breath while walking anywhere—along the street, at a bus stop, on a train platform, or by the riverside. As you inhale, step forward with one foot and reflect, “I have arrived; I am home.”
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“I have arrived” means I am already where I am meant to be—meeting life—and I no longer need to rush anywhere or search for anything. “I am home” means I have returned to my true home, which is living fully in the present moment. Only the present moment is real; the past and the future are shadows that can pull you into regret, suffering, worry, and fear. When each step brings you back to the present, those shadows can no longer hold power over you.
As you exhale, you can take three mindful steps and silently say, “I have arrived; I am home.” You have arrived at your true home and touched the wonders of life that are already here; there is no need to search any further. You stop running. In the Zen tradition, this is called samatha meditation, which means “to stop.”
When you are able to stop, your parents, grandparents, and all your ancestors can also stop. When you walk as someone who is free, all the ancestors present in every cell of your body can walk freely as well. When you stop running and take steps with such freedom, you are expressing real love, devotion, and gratitude toward your parents and ancestors.
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“I have arrived, I am home
Here and now.
I am solid, I am free.
In the Ultimate, I dwell.”
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This meditation verse helps you be fully present in the moment. By absorbing these words, your presence becomes unshakable in the here and now—just as when holding firmly onto a handrail, you will not fall.
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“Here and now” is the address of life. It is the direction of home—your true home—where you feel completely at peace, safe, and happy, where you can touch the presence of ancestors, friends, and loved ones. The benefit of meditation practice is that it always brings us back to this place. Every step takes you back to the present moment of life.
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Try practicing slow walking meditation and see for yourself. As you inhale, take a step and say, “I have arrived.”
Bring 100% of your body and mind into your breath and your step, so that you can truly say you have arrived and are home. With full awareness and steady concentration, you can arrive completely—fully and truly at home.
If you have not yet fully returned to the here and now, do not take the next step. Simply pause and breathe until you can quiet your wandering mind, until you are truly 100% present in this moment. Then you may offer a smile of quiet triumph and continue walking, saying, “I am home.”
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Steps taken in this mindful, deliberate way are like a royal seal stamped on a king’s decree. Your feet imprint, “I have arrived; I am home” upon the Earth. Walking in this manner generates a deep energy of solidity and freedom.
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This practice allows you to touch the wonders of life. You receive just enough spiritual nourishment and restoration. I know of those who have successfully healed various ailments simply by practicing walking meditation with wholehearted attention.
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“I am solid; I am free” means that you are not pulled by the shadows of the past, nor dragged into the future; you are the master of your own being. Speaking these words is not mere suggestion or empty hope. If you can dwell fully in the present, you truly possess wholeness and freedom.
You are free from past and future, not stumbling around like someone possessed. Wholeness and freedom are the foundation of true happiness.
Eating Meditation
Eating together is a meditative practice. It involves trying to be fully present in each moment while eating.
When standing in line to get food, the meditation has already begun. As you take food at the table, you become aware that many elements—like rain, sunlight, earth, air, and loving-kindness—have all come together to create this meal. In fact, through this food, you realize that the entire universe is supporting this life.
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Being mindful of the whole community (Sangha), we serve ourselves and should take only a sufficient portion of food. Before eating, the bell will be rung twice, and you should enjoy the in-breath and out-breath. After that, listen to the reading of the five contemplations:
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This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.
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May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.
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May we recognise and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.
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May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.
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We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and realise our ideal of serving all living beings.
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We should not eat in a hurry, and each bite should be chewed at least 30 times, until the food becomes almost liquid. This aids the digestive process. Let us enjoy each piece of food and the presence of our Dharma brothers and sisters around us. Let us be fully present in this moment, eating in this way so that stability, joy, and peace arise during the meal.
By eating in silence, the food becomes real with full attention, and we are truly aware as we chew.
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To deepen the practice of mindful eating and to support a peaceful atmosphere, we remain seated during this period of silence. Twenty minutes after eating in silence, the bell will ring twice. Then we may begin mindful conversation with friends or start to leave the table.
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While finishing the meal, we take a few moments to notice that we are done, our bowls are now empty, and our hunger has been satisfied. Gratitude fills our hearts as we realize how fortunate we are to have eaten nourishing food that supports the path of love and understanding.
Sitting Meditation
Sit on a cushion with your legs crossed comfortably and your knees touching the floor. This position allows you to sit steadily with three points of support (your sitting bones on the cushion and both knees).
Sit upright yet relaxed, so you can sit longer without your legs going numb. You may experiment with different cushion heights and widths until you find the most comfortable arrangement. If sitting on a chair, make sure both feet rest flat on the floor.
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While sitting, straighten your back and neck, with your head slightly bowed, but not stiff or tense. Focus your attention on the in-breath and the out-breath, moving through the abdomen and chest.
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Breathing in, I feel my breath entering my belly and chest.
Breathing out, I feel my breath leaving my belly and chest.
Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I smile to my whole body.
Breathing in, I am aware of the pain or tension in my body.
Breathing out, I release all pain and tension in my body.
Breathing in, I feel completely healthy.
Breathing out, I feel at ease.
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You can practice these phrases throughout the day, at work or anytime, to restore a sense of spaciousness, relaxation, and freshness.