Mindfulness is to be aware of what is going on, and everyone is capable of being mindful. …when you make a step, and if you are aware that you are making a step, that is mindfulness of walking. Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something. 

Thich Nhat Hanh, September 20, 2007

Mindfulness is a kind of energy that we generate when we are being aware and awake to the present moment — called smṛti (pronounced smriti) in Buddhist meditation. It is the continuous practice of being fully aware and present in every moment of daily life.

Thich Nhat Hanh often described mindfulness as “...being aware of what is happening inside and around you in the present moment.” We bring our body and mind together in whatever we do — washing dishes, eating, driving a car, or taking a shower.

Through the practice of mindfulness, you can realize that right here and right now there are already more than enough conditions for you to be happy.

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What is Mindfulness?

Listen to Thich Nhat Hanh explain.

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Explore Online Courses

From time to time we offer multi-week courses related to mindfulness, the teachings and life of Thich Nhat Hanh, and a variety of similar subjects. Please see our schedule of upcoming courses.

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Plum Village App

Take the Deer Park Monastery and Plum Village community with you wherever you go. The Plum Village app is designed to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and joy through guided meditations, deep relaxations, practice poems, bells of mindfulness, and other practices — all through a mobile device.

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