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Before you set yourself a goal on how long to meditate daily, first, clarify your purpose.

Why do you want to meditate in the first place?

Don’t settle with a generic answer such as “to find peace”.

Dig deeper into what is at stake if you do not meditate and paint a vivid picture of how your life would change for the better if you do. Your motivation won’t be 100% the same as others. So, own it.

If ever meditation feels like a chore to you, recollecting why you started in the first place will be incredibly helpful to keep you going. When you truly internalise and experience the benefits of meditation, it will become an integral habit – just like brushing your teeth.

DO THIS NOW:

1. Write your purpose on a post it note and paste it at a visible location to remind you daily about your “WHY”.

2. Snap a photo of it

3. Share it down on this board with your name! :D

You can use this template below:

I’ve chosen to meditate daily even if [ describe potential that can get in the way ]. And I’m doing this because [ describe why it matters to you ].

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Thanks for being part of this together! As we would be spending 30 days meditating virtually together in silence, I thought it'd be nice to do some form of introduction so we feel more togetherness :)

Go on, create a post and introduce yourself. You can share

1. your name

2. where you're from (country or if you Singaporean, are you an eastie or westie or swiftie)

3. what animal or plant best describes you and why

4. Any anything else interesting!

5. Share your insight timer link too so we can add you there!

Of course, please keep this space wholesome and respectful.

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Suggested meditation tracks and readings from last 30-day meditation challenge

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Suggested meditation tracks and readings from last 30-day meditation challenge

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This challenge was launched after Vesak in Year 2021 and held on Telegram. The following is a compilation of resources and daily prompts that we sent over the 30 days. You may choose to consume them according to what you need, or conduct your mini 30-day challenge with a few friends using these curated contents.

Hope you'll find them useful and stay mindful!

Welcome!

Hey there! 👋

Welcome to this 30-day challenge !

Congratulations on making an effort to cultivate your mind!

Joining this 30-day challenge is a great first step.

New to meditation? Don't worry. We'll be sharing some recommended resources and guided audio to get you moving. To get started, read: https://handfulofleaves.life/get-started-with-meditation/

Recommended meditation app (FREE): https://insighttimer.com/

Available on iOS and android.

Before you set yourself a goal on how long to meditate daily, first, clarify your purpose.

Why do you want to meditate in the first place? Don't settle with a generic answer such as "to find peace". Dig deeper into what is at stake if you do not meditate and paint a vivid picture of how your life would change for the better if you do. Your motivation won't be 100% the same as others. So, own it.

If ever meditation feels like a chore to you, recollecting why you started in the first place will be incredibly helpful to keep you going. And when you truly internalise and experience the benefits of meditation, it will become an integral habit - just like brushing your teeth.
Challenge for today, fill in the blanks below and paste it at a visible location to remind you daily about your "WHY". I've chosen to meditate daily even if [ describe potential that can get in the way ]. And I'm doing this because [ describe why it matters to you ].

Recommended guided meditation: Basic Body scan and breath awareness by Tara Brach
Duration: 11 minutes

Can't seem to empty your mind? It's normal!
A successful meditation is not just about how long you sit or how quiet your mind is.

A successful meditation session is one you have learnt something from - something that can help free you from the causes of dissatisfaction.

We recommend taking a few minutes after each meditation to reflect on your experience.

This allows you to grow your awareness and grow as a person.

Here's a downloadable reflection template for you: Download now
Recommended guided meditation: The RAIN of Self-Compassion by Tara Brach
Duration: 11 minutes

The physical setup of a space has the power to prime our minds for formal mindfulness practice.

Here are 3 tips to create your own mindful corner:

1. Free the clutter. The environment we create is a reflection of our state of mind. Vice versa!

2. Free the distraction. Distant yourself from TV, computer, bed, or anything that can cause you to lose focus.

3. Make it comfortable (but not too comfortable!). Positive association to the space can help attract you to the practice and make it joyful.

Do you have a dedicated place at your home to meditate? Snap a picture and tag us on Instagram or Facebook!
Recommended guided meditation: Basic instruction to listening by Luang Por Viradhammo
Duration: 10 minutes

Meditation is about understanding yourselves and nature, so that you can adopt skilful measures to change your life for the better. Daily experiences interactions have effects on our mind; our formal meditation experiences have effects on our daily experiences.

A moment to reflect:

Did you recognise any patterns?

What are the causes of your peace/restlessness?

How did meditation contribute to your happiness in the day?
Recommended guided meditation:
Mental Noting by Charles Freligh, PhD

Duration: 15 minutes

Jon Kabat-Zinn, shares the attitudes that create a strong foundation for mindfulness practice.

Watch this 3-minute introductory clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kANsRoYcaAo

In the next few days, we'll be sharing guided meditation tracks based on these themes.

Today's guided meditation is by Jon Kabat-Zinn himself.
Duration: 10 minutes.

Liking and disliking;

Wanting and not wanting.

Our minds are constantly swinging between these two extremes, with tons of judgements playing in the background. Listen to Jon Kabat-Zinn about the right way to cultivate a non-judging mind in order to not be imprisoned by our thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVkxcw1eZE

Recommended guided meditation:

The judging mind by Joseph Goldstein

Duration: 11.5 minutes

Are you missing the present moment because of impatience?

Here's a 2-minute reflection on how to cultivate patience and its benefits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXfzsW7gw0

Recommended guided meditation:

Finding peace through patience by Amy Pattee Colvin

Duration: 12 minutes

How is your meditation practice going?

Meditation can seem boring after some time, or we might think we know all about meditation already. Jon Kabat-Zinn shares how a beginners' mind can help us find novelty in every moment to keep the practice interesting and to grow in wisdom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssqclf52ZpY

Recommended guided meditation:
Simply begin again by Joseph Goldstein

Duration: 8 minutes

Do you trust yourself and your ability to overcome the challenges in life?

Watch this 3-minute interview about how the attitude of trust can be cultivated in meditation and help us in our daily lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9HhURnnlh4

Recommended guided meditation:
Trust in self and others (mantra and movement meditation) by Ashley Brodeur

Duration: 8.5 minutes

Are you trying to get something out of your meditation? To stop thinking, to feel peaceful, to experience this or that?

Watch this 2-minute clip about the beauty of letting things unfold naturally and letting go of the doing-mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3xwfECuYc

Recommended guided meditation: Let go by Ajahn Amaro
Duration: 19 minutes

Brain Research shows the hardest thing for the brain to do, is to let go of thoughts.

"If we find it particularly difficult to let go of something because it has such a strong hold over our mind, we can direct our attention to what "holding on" feels like. Holding on is the opposite of letting go. We can become an expert on our own attachments, whatever they may be, and their consequences in our lives, as well as how it feels in those moments when we finally do let go and what the consequences of that are. Being willing to look at the ways we hold on ultimately shows us a lot about the experience of its opposite. So whether we are "successful" at letting go or not, mindfulness continues to teach us if we are willing to look." Credit: G Ross Clark

Watch this 4-minute clip about letting go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE60Hk786Lw

Recommended guided meditation: Letting go by Bhante Sujatha
Duration: 6 minutes

Put on the welcome mat for pain and unpleasant feelings! Jon Kabat-zinn shares how he teaches patients who are dealing with chronic pain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOGsj0Aklx8

Recommended guided meditation: Acceptance by Bhante Sujatha
Duration: 4 minutes

Wrapping up the series "attitudes for meditation" by Jon Kabat-zinn with gratitude and generosity. He shares how these qualities are interconnected and seeing things as they really are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M-ZJLmP4b4

Recommended guided meditation today:
Gratitude for the miracle breath and body by Dr Elise Bialylew
Duration: 14 minutes

"Ugh! I can't seem to quiet my mind!!!" If you've thought of giving up meditation because you 'failed' to free your mind of thoughts... don't! Because there's a victory of being lost in thoughts.

Watch this 3-minute interview with Joseph Goldstein about reframing the experience of a restless mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmDdaSYDec

Recommended guided meditation: A meditation for patience and resolve by Mark Bertin
Duration: 18 minutes

If you're struggling to keep up with any of the meditation techniques, you may consider a practice of doing nothing. Simply put, just let the mind do its thing and watch it. You might notice that it's easy for the mind to start to daydream. How do we deal with that?

Here's a 3-minute clip that answers the question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZk2rNSeuiQ

Recommended guided meditation: Place attention to the nature of your mind with Vinny Ferraro
Duration: 14 minutes

We're halfway there! How has your meditation practice been?

Again, if you've missed a day, it's completely fine. Start again, even if it's as little as three mindful breaths.

Hot tips:

1. Remind yourself why you've started in the first place

2. Lower your goals to make it easier to overachieve them (for a boost in motivation)

3. Set a specific period in the day for the practice. E.g. before breakfast/ before bed.

Recommended guided meditation by Jonathan Lehmann:

Buddha Morning: https://insig.ht/hZl8CxEDsgb

Buddha Evening: https://insig.ht/QkAn2Rf7qgb

Meditation isn't about clocking the hours on the cushion! How do you know if you are progressing?

Use these simple yardsticks:

1. Has my greed, aversion, and ignorance reduced?

2. Have I become responsive rather than reactive to situations?

3. Has my overall stress level reduced?

Recommended guided meditation by Tara Brach: Vipassana (insight) meditation

Not all days are filled with rainbows and sunshine. Do you run away from reality or face it with courage? In this 15-minute clip, Thich Nhat Hahn shares a sustainable way to deal with painful feelings that might be unbearable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Ka2RS0UC4

Recommended guided meditation:

Transforming Difficult Emotions by Patty Hlava, Ph.D. (AwakenPeace Healing)

Duration: 15 minutes

In this short teaching video from the Deer Park Monastery (February 2004), Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) guides us on how to take care of emotions when they come up. Every time a painful feeling is born, we go home and take good care of our feelings with the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness here is like a mother coming to hold and embrace the pain that is crying out to us. This is the practice of love: telling our painful emotions, "Darling I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you." Credit: Plum Village

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3SDyQNnjxU

Today, we recommended two guided meditation tracks. You can choose to meditate with either depending on the time you have:
Processing unpleasant feelings by DarioHealth
Duration: 4 minutes
Mindfulness Meditation For Stress And Worry by Hugh Byrne
Duration: 29 minutes

In this journey of life, we all come with different baggage, some heavier than others. We have to acknowledge our own limitations and be open to seeking and receiving help to lighten the load. Sometimes, meditation is just not the right support at the moment.

Read more in this article by Cheryl Cheah about "3 Things I Wished I Knew Before Starting Meditation"

Recommended guided reflection by Charles (PhD in Clinical Psychology): Caring for your inner child

Duration: 13.5 minutes

Does the thought of Loving-kindness make you squirm? You're not alone. Is it because love and kindness seem to be the polar opposites of courage and success? Dan Harris and Sharon Salzberg discuss this in this 7-minute clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNLbPpVT_Q

Recommended guided meditation: Loving kindness by Sharon salzberg

Duration: 15 minutes

In these chaotic and trying times, we could all do with more goodwill. While spreading thoughts of goodness to others, remember you deserve loving-kindness too!

Recommended guided meditation today is by Tara Brach: Loving this life; metta meditation

Duration: 16.5 minutes

When you're practising metta meditation, recognise that it is okay to struggle with sending thoughts of goodwill towards some people. Especially to those whom you dislike and those who hurt you. Recognise your emotional capacity and wish yourself well. Then, when you're ready, set the wholesome intention to free your heart from enmity little by little.

Recommended guided meditation: "Just like me" by Miraibai Bush

Duration: 5 minutes

You must have met these 5 common 'folks' during your meditation.
1. Sensory desire: wanting pleasure through the five senses (yes, fidgeting is part of wanting).

2. Ill-will: enmity towards oneself or others.

3. Sloth-and-torpor: laziness and the lack of energy/effort.

4. Restlessness: mind filled with thoughts.

5. Doubt: questioning the meditation experience with a lack of trust.

Master Shi Heng Yi, a Shaolin monk, described these different mental states and how they cloud our minds to make the right decisions in life.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQSffSfw-Nc
Recommended guided meditation: the 5 hindrances.
Duration: 15 minutes

"How can I feel good all the time if everything is changing?"

Watch Master Shi Heng Yi's reply:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcbzHQcuIjk

Recommended guided meditation: Strengthen the access to your inner wisdom by Dr Karolien Notebaert

Duration: 14 minutes

The million-dollar question for lay practitioners: Is it okay to look forward to binging Netflix series to de-stress?

Dan Harris talks to Jeff Warren about how to cope with stress and begin where we are.

Watch this 24-minute interview with practical advice:
Recommended guided meditation: Mindfulness Practice For Stress Reduction by Beth Kurland, Ph.D.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-TP0Rwgdi8

Duration: 22 minutes

Thought of throwing in the towel due to stress? Here Timber Hawkeye gave a beautiful answer to a friend's question about whether she should quit her job:
Recommended guided meditation: Visualisation for stress elimination

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nZmLdBBB1Y

Duration: 6 minutes

Two more days to go!

Have you been planning what to do next?

Or have you been looking back at the past with thoughts of "what if?" "I should have"?

Planning and revisiting history are essential for us to lead our lives.

But if we are caught up with too much thinking, we won't be able to enjoy the present moment.

Staying present is an ongoing practice, explains Eckhart, which can be supported in ways that include following the breath, becoming aware of sensations in the body, and by cultivating "the Observer". Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sKKubwN4vM

Recommended guided meditation: Breath meditation by Luang Por Viradhammo

11 minutes

One more day left to this challenge! You've come this far, and what's most important is to integrate this meditation practice into your working life and personal life.

With the demands of modern times, it can be difficult to live a life that feels truly balanced. Scientist and author Jon Kabat-Zinn says mindfulness can be a vital tool in cutting through the noise of daily life.

Watch: Stopping: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat Zinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1oeSfTocSY

Recommended guided meditation: Walking meditation by Tara Brach

Duration: 7 minutes

Last day! As we end this challenge, take a moment to celebrate the efforts you've put into cultivating your mind. Even if you did not meditate for all 30 days, meditating for a day is better than none at all. Meditating for 1 minute or just one mindful breath is better than none. So give yourself some credit!

You may continue to keep up with this daily habit or make it a weekly affair. An important note is that meditation is not just when you sit on the cushion. The mind finds itself in all postures and in all activities.

Today, we are closing off with these two recommendations:

1. Listen to this 10-minute recording of Ajahn Dhammasiha about integrating meditation into daily life.

2. Fill in this Daily mindfulness habit tracker (Template)

Download here: You may use this to keep yourself accountable of the habits you want to build. And take 2 minutes daily, to jot down your reflection. See the image above as an example.

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30-day Meditation Challenge - Handful of Leaves

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Learn how to meditate with recommended bite-sized guided meditation tracks, and reflections, and how to utilise different meditation techniques.

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New to Buddhist meditation? Here are some tools and concepts to get started with.

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New to Buddhist meditation? Here are some tools and concepts to get started with.

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The stresses experienced in life are self-afflicted. External circumstances are largely beyond our control. While changing the world is difficult, we can shift our perspective about it. Meditation allows us to look inwards to investigate the causes of stress in order to uproot them and to plant the seeds of peace. Meditation allows us to realise how we can truly be at home with ourselves and the world.

In the last decade, mindfulness meditation has taken the world by storm. There is a rise in meditation teachers, gurus, and techniques.

Meditation is a practice that exists even before the time of the Buddha. In fact, before the Buddha attained enlightenment, in his search for liberation, he learnt meditation under two great masters of his time. However, the practices weren't adequate in helping him realise the end of suffering, which led him to figure out on his own. After his own successful attainment of the Truth, the Buddha preached Right Mindfulness as one of the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Secular Mindfulness vs Mindfulness in Buddhism

The difference between most secular mindfulness practices and the mindfulness that the Buddha taught is its aim.

Mindfulness generally means the state of being aware. It is not inherently ethical or unethical, and can be used for good or for bad. A thief can have mindfulness and apply it to unwholesome activities. While committing a crime, he or she can be aware of the surrounding movements to avoid being caught red-handed.

On the wholesome side, doctors, schools, and teachers are advocating secular mindfulness practices for the betterment of society's welfare. One can meditate to improve health and relationships, regulate emotions, and perform better in school and at work.

Having said so, these practices may only provide temporary relief if we are after conditional happiness. What is conditional happiness? Happiness that arises only when conditions are good - good health, good career, good relationship, etc. But once things go south, we become depressed, or we have to be willing to look on the bright side.

(Right) Mindfulness in Buddhism is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, which propels us towards lasting peace and the complete liberation from suffering. We meditate with the intention of understanding the root causes of our dissatisfactions and how to let go of them.
We gain realisations and insights into the truths of nature -

What is conditioned is subject to change (aniccā),

What is subject to change cannot be identified as "self" (anattā),

Wanting what is impermanent to be permanent and attaching a self-identity to what is constantly changing give rise to dissatisfaction (dukkha).

Understanding these truths, we free our minds from states such as greed, hatred, and ignorance, which do not benefit us. This snowballs into how we speak and act in our daily lives. Just like how we know not to touch a hot kettle, we will develop the wisdom to not carry thoughts of ill-will in order to not let them burn us.

Hence, (Right) Mindfulness in Buddhism is practised holistically with other aspects of the path - factors of virtues and wisdom. For example, if a person does not conduct himself virtuously in the day and carries evil thoughts about others, settling his mind during meditation would be difficult. And if a person develops mindfulness, he can become more aware of unwholesome thoughts and prevent them from turning into unskilful actions. Experiencing the benefits of this, he sets the intention to develop his mindfulness even more.

Like a well-oiled machine, the different parts of one's life work together simultaneously to liberate us from the causes of suffering.

While we differentiate secular mindfulness and mindfulness in Buddhism, the mindfulness meditation that the Buddha preached is not exclusive to Buddhists. Mindfulness in Buddhism can be practised by anyone who wishes to transcend dissatisfactions in life and to attain unconditional happiness.

For more in-depth analysis of Right Mindfulness, read Right Mindfulness.

In meditation, the mind can be clouded by desires, ill-will, laziness, restlessness, and doubt. These, the Buddha taught, are the 5 obstacles that hinder one to experience the ultimate peace.

Sensual desire (kāmacchanda)

Sensual desires arise when our senses come into contact with sights, sound, smell, taste, feeling, and thoughts. These sensual desires can distract us from our meditation object. Hence, we need to learn to let go of them. We can do this by investigating the impermanent nature of these sensual objects in the mind. Watch how thoughts, feelings, sounds, etc come and go. Once we see that they are not real and that they are inconstant, we gradually cease chasing after them and start paying attention to the present moment.

Ill-will commonly arise due to the expectations we have of ourselves, others, or of situations. In meditation, we may feel averse towards the meditation object or berate ourselves when we fail to quiet our minds. We may think of someone who made us angry and play hostile thoughts on repeat. Holding on to ill-will denies us the access to happiness. Loving-kindness meditation can help to put out the fires in our hearts.

Sloth and torpor refer to the dullness of the mind. This is caused by the lack of energy and effort, which leads to boredom and drowsiness. The next thing you know, you might have fallen asleep! Make your meditation interesting by adopting a spirit of curiosity towards every meditation object. You can be awed by the little things - the subtle differences of every breath, how your breath has the powerful ability to relax the body, how easy for your mind to wonder, etc! Put in wholesome effort to sustain your awareness in this present moment. If it doesn't work, you may wish to get some fresh air, splash water on your face or do walking meditation to raise your energy level and make yourself more awake. If it still doesn't work, you probably need some well-deserved sleep.

Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca)

Restlessness refers to the monkey mind swinging from one thought to the next. You might be worrying about the future or have concerns about the past. Or you might be fidgeting every few minutes, changing posture with the slightest itch or discomfort. Or there might be a song in your head that you can't shake off. These are signs that the mind is struggling to find contentment in this present moment. Taking 5 long in and out breaths can help calm the mind. Body scan meditation and mantras can also help to ground your thoughts.

Doubt refers to the questioning of oneself and the meditation experience that hinders one from progressing further. 'Am I doing this correctly?', 'What is this?', 'Am I there yet?', these questions are important to ensure we are on the right track. However, when we asked them at the wrong time during meditation, it can stir the mind and prevent it from going deeper into a still state. To overcome this, save the questions for the end of the meditation as a form of reflection. Before the meditation, set a firm intention to stick to a meditation object of your choice. During the meditation session, place appropriate attention on the meditation object and patiently let the experience unfold. Still unsure if you're on the right track? Clarify your doubts with a meditation teacher. You may also build trust in the practice by recollecting the fact that many meditators have found a brighter path ahead of them.

These hindrances have the power to take over your mind if you let them. Often, these waves of defilements cause us to feel defeated or even cause us to give up the meditation practice all together.

Here are some helpful tips:

1. Experiencing these hindrances is absolutely normal. Adopting a curious attitude towards investigating the causes of these hindrances can help you make the meditation more enjoyable. Treat it as an experiment, and you are bound to gain valuable insights along the way.

2. Each time you recognise that your mind has wandered, it is a moment for celebration. Because at that very moment, you are making what used to be unconscious conscious, thereby strengthening your awareness.

3. Good things in life may not come easy, but they are worth striving for. Mindfulness and clear comprehension allow you to respond to situations rather than react. Mindfulness is a superpower that will visibly change your happiness quotient and those around you.

Read more: 5 Frenemies you might meet during your meditation : Meditation 101

Meditation is like medicine for the mind. Just as there are different medicines for different physical ailments, there are different types of meditation techniques for different states of mind and temperaments.

Meditation techniques are commonly categorised into two big buckets:

1. Samatha (Concentration) Meditation: Stilling of the mind, freeing the mind from the 5 hindrances.

2. Vipassanā (Insight) Meditation: Giving rise to penetrative insights and clearly seeing things as they truly are. I.e: all conditioned things are impermanent, dissatisfactory, and non-self.

Both Samatha and Vipassanā need to work in harmony in order for the positive benefits of meditation to last (in and beyond our formal meditation practice).

Analogy of a Rock on grass

A still mind temporarily keeps our defilements at bay. Just like covering a grass patch with a rock. In a couple of days, the grass withers. But not long after the rock is lifted, the grass grows again. To ensure that the grass stops regenerating, one has to remove the grass from its roots; Wisdom must be used to uproot the defilements.
Analogy of an Axe
To chop a trunk of a tree with an axe, the axe needs a sharp blade and a weighted handle. In meditation, vipassanā is like the blade while samatha is the handle, and one needs both to complement each other.

Vipassanā practice sharpens one's mind to prevent the mind from falling in dullness.
Samatha practice stabilises one's mind to prevent the mind from being disoriented.
Of more than a dozen of meditation techniques that fall under Samatha and Vipassanā , these are the popular ones:

1. Mindfulness of breath

This is best for developing focus and stilling the restless monkey mind. Let the breath be the anchor for your mind throughout the meditation. You may start by counting your breath. With every inhale, count one. With every exhale, count two. As your mind gradually relaxes, you may increase the intervals of your counting - inhale and exhale count one, the next inhale and exhale count two. You can count to ten, then count backwards. Repeat this until the breath becomes subtler over time and you may eventually drop the counting. Just be aware that you're breathing.

When you notice that your mind has wandered into the past or the future, recognise that and gently bring the mind back to the in and out breath.
Tips:
a. Each time you notice that your mind has drifted away from the anchor point, celebrate the fact that you were aware. If you notice that the frequency of wandering thoughts has reduced over time, celebrate again! This can motivate you to keep going.

b. If counting numbers doesn't help you to stay focused, you may try counting alphabets in ascending then descending order.

2. Body Scan Meditation

This is best for relaxing the body, especially if you have a stressful day. Scan your body slowly from head to toe with a light smile on your face. While scanning each part of your body, pause to tune in to how it feels. Are your muscles tense or relaxed? Are your eyes dry or moist?

Tip:

Bring up gratitude towards each part of your body and bring up wholesome intentions. Example: Thank you, ears, for allowing me to listen. May I let in what is beneficial and filter out what is not. Thank you, mouth, for allowing me to speak. May I speak words that are skilful and beneficial.

3. Loving-kindness Meditation

This is best for diffusing anger and soothing an overly critical mind. In this meditation, visualise yourself, your loved ones, those who are neutral, strangers, and those whom you dislike. Radiate Loving-kindness towards these people in respective order.

Acknowledge that all beings in this world wish for happiness and safety. Wish them well. Just like a mother would protect her only child with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living-beings.

It is okay to struggle with sending thoughts of good will towards those whom you dislike and those who hurt you. Recognise your emotional capacity and wish yourself well. Then, when you're ready, set the wholesome intention to free your heart from enmity little by little.

4. Meditate on the changing nature

This is great for developing wisdom and insight. You may start your meditation with mindfulness of breath, body, or sounds. Set your mind to be alert about the changes that take place. For example, if you catch your mind wandering, note "wandering". If you notice a pain in your back, note "pain". Observe and investigate how the qualities of your mind and body changes.

Tip:
Regardless of the changes in thoughts or sensations, embrace rather than judge. Observe the changes as though you're from the outside looking in and in a non-personal manner.

The success of your meditation isn't how long you can sit on the cushion without moving. If that's success then hens would have attained enlightenment! True success can be observed in how you conduct yourself in daily life.

Are your thoughts, speech, and action increasing in wholesomeness?

Is your greed, ill-will, and ignorance reducing?

If the answer is 'yes', you're on the right path! Continue to meditate consistently.

A few minutes of meditation a day is better than none! One need not sit for long hours to consider it meditation. We already spend a lot of time placing our focus on Netflix or social media, so why not allocate a few minutes to look into our inner world? Taking a 5-minute meditation break daily can make you feel like a new person.

Here are some meditation applications that you can start with:

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Misconceptions of Buddhism, different meditation techniques, and overcoming the five hindrances.

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Photo with a random dog at the temple in Pattaya

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Hello~ Kai xin here 👋

Co-founder of Handful Of Leaves.

I'm 31 this year but often mistaken as a school kid (more so with my new haircut and perhaps due to the anti-aging effects of meditation 😆)

Born and bred in Singapore, but feel most at home in the forest monasteries in Thailand. I'll use every chance I have to be there.

End of last year, I made the big decision to step away from the day-to-day operations of the business, which I co-founded 11 years ago, to dedicate more time to deepening my spiritual practice.

So I've been hopping to different monasteries and sites, to learn, to serve, and to practice.

Here are some interesting pitstops!

End Nov 2023 -Start of Jan 2024

1.5 months in the Aranya Bodhi hermitage and Dhammadharini monastery in North California,

Mid Jan 2024

15 days in India for pilgrimage with Ajahn Achalo

Mid Feb-Mid March:

Rented an apartment 35 mins from Wat Marp Jan (Buddhist monastery) to work remotely, drive to the monastery daily at 6am to offer food to the Sangha, then spend half a day there to help out or to meditate.

End March - Mid April: Stay in the monastery.

Now that I'm back in SG, it is a true test of integrating Dhamma into my daily life. And thank you for joining me on this journey to commit to meditating daily. ❤️

Here's the link to find me on Insight Timer:

https://insig.ht/xhK7vN8HOIb

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This week, let's heighten our awareness to observe moments when we are dissatisfied, agitated, and not at ease. Instead of pushing these unpleasant feelings or emotions away, let's face it and investigate it.

As the Buddha taught in the First Noble Truth, Suffering (Dukkha) should be understood.

And as most life coach or therapists would say "When you resist, the feelings would persist".

So let's challenge ourselves for the week to deeply understand - which ones of the following do we tend to suffer over?

1. Not getting what we want

2. Getting what we don't want

3. Losing what we love

4. Aging

5. Sickness

6. Death

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Thank you for setting this up! (:

I'm Jue Fei - a (newly) working adult of 2.5 years. I have interests in Sci-Fi, Technology & Philosophy (did that as my major), I think the FIRE movement is cool beans and find finance-related topics interesting. I keep a meme collection and love annoying my friends.

Going into this - I'd like to keep consistent practice a quiet, unassuming and ongoing matter, found myself liking the uneventful start and end dates. I'm seeing this as another leg in growing our daily practice, while not being too bored with it all (:

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following Kai Xin and sharing a pic of me with a stray animal ... cat from St. John Island

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I'm a 20yo Singaporean who was born in Ipoh, Malaysia. Graduating from Singapore Polytechnic, awaiting enlistment this July. Been meditating on my own regularly for over a year now, started with a goal of 5mins a day, now I do around 10 to 20mins every day, just silent anapanasati, usually right before and after bed. My Dhamma practice and learning has mostly been solitary, very grateful to access so many Dhamma books and online talks. Recently been following teachings from Ajahn Nyanamoli and Rob Burbea, though I am looking for good Mahayana teachings in Mandarin/Cantonese! (which i feel is so difficult to find online compared to teachings in English) I have been participating in 光明山 Bright Youth these few months as well.

Hope to make use of this event to support and further my meditation practice, thank you Kai Xin for organizing this

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I am 24 and from india i got into meditating as a habit from May 2023 there were times in between I have had at times a reduced desire to meditate for days on end. This would be the first meditation session i would be attending that isn't from a discord server. But with real names and possibly faces and perhaps interacting during the live session :)

I sit for as long as i can, some days i get till 29 minutes other days 18 minutes and still other days 8 minutes

I have no specific animal i like, i feed stray cats and that's about it.

my insight timer link:

https://insig.ht/I9G6fWOXTIb

Thank you

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Hi everyone, I'm Diga. I'm from Indo but have lived in Singapore for about half of my life. I moved here at the start of sec 3 in 2009. You can count how old I am, roughly lol

I have been meditating almost daily for a while now, though most of the time just for a short duration (5-15 mins), usually before and/or after bed. I do different types of meditation, ranging from anapanasti, metta, and some other random kinds from Insight Timer's recommendation feed that attract me.

Thanks Kai Xin for initiating this! Looking forward to seeing everyone on Zoom soon!

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Jiayi here (you can call me Hong if there’s more than 1 Jiayi in this group 😎)

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Jiayi here (you can call me Hong if there’s more than 1 Jiayi in this group 😎)

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hi everyone! I’m born and bred in Singapore and I’m turning 25 this year. I am looking to be more mindful in my everyday life.

I work in the media industry so life does get quite busy at times. When things are especially bustling or urgent it makes me feel anxious :( Therefore, I joined this challenge in hopes of being more at peace.

My 2024 new year resolution is to be a wiser person. Going for the Dhamma Foundation Course (1) and starting a meditation habit are my first steps to achieving this goal.

During my free time, I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 🥋 although I get beat up by my friends 90% of the time, I enjoy the process of learning in every roll and doing 1% better every training.

My insight timer link: https://insig.ht/FTw3l4ylYIb

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Hiiii Wilson here from Singapore! Newly minted eastie for less than a month. I feel like a dog with a short attention span hahahaha. Interesting thing about me is I've fallen into the swan pond at Botanic Gardens before. Don't plan to relive it 😜

https://insig.ht/olSZ8ixk0Ib

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I've chosen to meditate daily even though it's tempting to give in to laziness on some days.

I'm making an effort to keep a consistent practice regardless of my moods in order to see through my defilements and go beyond suffering.

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I’ve chosen to meditate daily even if I’m feeling lazy, tired, busy, or even when I’m not feeling its benefits.

And I’m doing this because: 1) I know that meditation is good for me in the long run. 2) To be a better Buddhist: To practice Suta and cultivate wisdom, which hopefully reduces my suffering when I die someday in the future 3) To be able to seek inner peace and joy within, undisturbed by the external world.

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I've chosen to meditate daily because it is far easier settling into a state of mindlessness at home - getting busy distracted by fleeting thoughts as they arise and procrastinating on things that truly matter such as cultivation.

I'm doing this with an intention to start a new habit of finding pockets of time daily to meditate!

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I signed up for this 30 day meditation challenge to keep myself accountable to meditate at least 10 minutes everyday, be it with the HOL community or by myself. For a daily motivation, I want to practise meditation to develop calmness so that I can be more mindful and kinder to myself and other people everyday. On the longer term, I want to deepen my stillness so that I can see the Dhamma more clearly and eventually reach the other shore of sotapanna and beyond. May we all progress in our meditation practice and be happy everyday. :))

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The first reason is that I already have a meditation habit and I wish to further cultivate and strengthen it. It just makes sense to join this event to meditate alongside others, I am not doing this to get any outcome, I am joining this because I already do it, and now I believe I can do it for longer durations daily.

I find that the core of meditation is to sit with whatever arises, and that really is the essence of the Dhamma, I have experienced that it is a highly effective way to face craving and aversion head on. Mindfulness that is cultivated is also a great way to spot the intentions behind the actions I may want to take (provided there is at least a small restraint present first to allow myself to observe)

Other than helping myself, I also wish for the fruits of my practice to benefit those around me (family, friends etc.), and if i can't help them, at least help myself to unlearn the bad habits and wrong views I have accumulated and set a better example.

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1. I am Khai Hsien:D

2. I am from Singapore

3. For what animal or plant that best describe me, I have engaged the help of chatgpt. With inputs bubble, smiley, alarcrity, cheerful, sadness, fiery, different answer came out. From sunflower, phoenix to creating fantastical creature called the "Emberfly". Hahah. But actually, I resonate to the character Sadness from Inside Out. The mixture of emotions that happened in 1 memory. Just joy and no sadness, sth is missing kind.

4. Just want to say thanks to Kai Xin for inititating this challenge!:D

5. Nil.

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Before I start, just want to say thanks for setting all these up! To me, it's like a structured way for reflection and to doc. the journey. Thank you!

I have chosen to meditate daily even if I am tired or felt lazy. And I'm doing this because I want to tell myself that if i set a goal, i can do it, I can trust my own words. Bec I have the tendency to set goals that are too big that I cannot finish:(

I want to tell myself 为自己赢一次(win for myself), just like the movie, YOLO. I want to manifest something to create a different reality for myself that 我可以的(I can do it)

I am doing a personal project and doing a 30 days meditation challenge is part of the goals too.

I know meditation is good but I have always resisted so wanna see if I do it for 30 days, what would change or any realisation from there.