We invite you to sit in a relaxed way, with your mind awake, calm and clear. Sit in a way that you enjoy sitting.

As you breathe in,
be aware
that you are
breathing in.

As you breathe out
notice that you are
breathing out.

As soon as we pay attention to our breath, as we breathe in, our body, breath, and mind come together. This can happen in just one or two seconds. You come back to yourself.

Your awareness brings these three elements together, and you become fully present in the here and now.

You are taking care of your body, you are taking care of your breath, and you are taking care of your mind.

We don’t need to control our body, mind, and breath. We can just be there for them. We allow them to be themselves. This is nonviolence.

– From How to Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh

This is the essence of the teachings of our teacher, Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh.