Meditation - a personal experience of the peace within yourself.

Meditation is an integral part of mindfulness training in Buddhism. The idea is to simply quiet the mind and create an opening where we can feel the tenderness of the heart.

It is an invitation to see the world as it is, in the presence of your sacred self, as your heart opens. There is no right way or wrong way to practise meditation. It is a personal experience of the peace within yourself in the meditative state.

Self-discipline is essential for daily meditation practise. At the beginning, five to ten minutes of practise in the morning or before bed is enough.

As you practise more regularly, you will know the perfect length of time for your own practise that allows you to experience your own sacred self – one which is pure and full of love, happiness and peace.

Painting is form of meditation to me. The concentration and super focus of the mind, body and heart often take me to a meditative state of no time and no self  of nothingness. The art taking on the life of its own, everything else stood still while the mind is quiet and the heart is wide open. Joy and inner peace reveal themselves and we make connection again. It is so simple.

'Sacred Moment' - by Sofan Chan

A daily meditation practise 

This practise is as easy as sitting comfortably in a chair in a quiet place with your palms open and receptive, resting on the top of your knees. Make sure your spine is straight and upright with dignity. Gently close your eyes. Now, in a relaxed manner, take a long, deep breath in. Simply be aware

that you are breathing in. 

At ease, take a long deep breath out and just notice that you are breathing

out. Keep following the deep breath in, and naturally letting the deep breath out. When thoughts come and go in your mind, just be aware of the movement of your thoughts. Know that you are not your thoughts. 

As you become aware of feelings and sensations in the body, know that you are not these physical feelings or sensations of the body. As you notice streams of subtle emotions flowing through the

emotional body (such as stress, resistance, defensiveness, anxiety, fear, tiredness or excitement), know that you are not these emotions. 

Instead, you are the observer of the mind, of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions during the meditation. Observe every moment as it comes and pay attention to the tenderness of the heart.

By simply observing and realising the presence of the heart in every moment that the mind is still, you are cultivating kindness and compassion of the heart.

'Lily Of Consciousness' - by Sofan Chan