A Cup Of Thi

IS MEDITATION REALLY ABOUT SITTING AND DOING NOTHING?

The short answer is no.

Yes, we are sitting still, but we are not doing nothing. The foundation purpose of meditation is to train our focus. Depending on your intention, that could mean focusing on the present (relaxing our body, or watching our breath), or a visualization, or on finding a purpose in our lives.

During a meditation session, our brain works really hard to maintain concentration. Many people would agree here with me that they can never sit still and think of nothing. There are always thoughts that keep intruding the mind, and so meditation is not for them.

The truth is the mind will always be busy with thoughts. But meditation will help train which thoughts it should concentrate on.

☯️Should it concentrate on the problems, or should it concentrate on the solution?

☯️Should it concentrate on the pain of the past or should it concentrate on working with the present to change the future?

☯️Should it concentrate on what it cannot control, or should it concentrate on what it can?

Taming our minds is no easy job because not all the time that we have enough awareness to realize how our thoughts and emotions are affecting our behaviors and our lives.

Those thoughts and emotion patterns have been repeated thousands and thousands of times that it has embedded in our system. Some of them may be serving us well, others may be on the opposite side, i.e., doing us harm.

In order to change the ones that are harmful to us, we will need to spend some time to have a conversation with ourselves, look deep within our souls, so that we can recognize those patterns.

And meditation will provide us with a chance to do that.
It may look like we are lazy humans who have plenty of time to sit around all day. But just by sitting still, and focusing on watching our thoughts flow by, or following them consciously, seeing where they are heading to, or seeing how wild they can become. Over time, we will recognize our triggers, our patterns, our habits, and even our fears!

What's more? When we step back and take the role of an observer, we are looking at those patterns as something we can improve, not something we should be embarrassed about. And that is self-acceptance, self-validation, and self-forgiveness.

And when we starting changing those patterns, we also start rewiring our brains, therefore rewiring our lives. And that is self-learning, self-improving. That also means joy and happiness.

In that sense, meditation has become an interesting activity. It helps tame our minds, improves our focus ability, and it also brings about interesting surprises and discoveries or even transformations to our souls.

BECAUSE LIFE IS AN EXPERIMENT

Apart from life-threatening situations, life to me is a place where I can swing myself and grow. Every failure, every fall is just a reminder that I did not use the right approach to the problems.

It took me 4-5 years to experiment and cook Pho- our country's traditional dish.

During that time, I made every adjustment that I could to it. Changing the bones, the spices, the sugar, the cooking time, I did it all. Eventually, I was able to develop my own recipe unique enough that my son would not eat pho anywhere. That I think is a success worth celebrating.

Growing our souls is no different than cooking a bowl of pho. We will keep attracting the same type of people in our life, so that we can learn to adjust what to put into the relationship.

The bones, the spices, the sugar, the cooking time are all that we need in a relationship: our communication, our personalities, our boundaries, etc.

We will keep refining them with each person we meet, until we can successfully build a relationship that is worth savoring as a bowl of pho.

Anyways,

WHO'S HUNGRY? 😆

Are you feeling lonely and isolated?

Do you have stories that are hard to tell others but need to vent?

Whether you are going through a tough time, facing a personal challenge, or just need someone to talk to, I am here for you.

Sometimes the fear of being judged can often hold you back from expressing yourselves and voicing your thoughts and emotions. Or sometimes, there are things that you keep bottling up inside and you may think that it is best to vent with a stranger who knows nothing about you, so that your secret is safe.

I am no ordinary stranger.

I am a trained stranger who has been practicing mindfulness, including mindful listening. My listening service is my way of showing you that you are not alone, that you matter, and that someone cares about you.

As a mindful listener, I am here to be present with you, to give you a judgment free space to express yourself, and to give you the support you deserve, no matter where you come from.

The service can be done via Zoom, Call or Text. Click the link below to find out more

Mindful Ears – The Power of Being Heard - A Cup Of Thi Where you can feel heard with mindful ears. Empathetic listening service provides a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals in need of emotional support

GROUNDING MEDITATION

The aim of grounding meditation is to bring you out of the panic state and into the present.

By using your five senses, it directs your focus to what is happening around you and inside your body in the here and now, instead of focusing on the pull of emotions and thoughts related to the triggers, therefore, brings you to a calmer state of mind.

Depending on how stressed you are, you can practice this technique in as short as 3 minutes to as long as you like.

Below is a super short and sweet grounding meditation recording of mine, based on the sense of hearing. It takes only 3 minutes and totally FREE for you to listen on Insight Timer.

I invite you to take some time to try it out, and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment xx

Grounding With Individual Senses Series #1: Hearing | Insight Timer The first track in the Grounding with Individual Senses Series. Short and sweet guided grounding meditation with each track focusing on one sense with no connection to the breath. Image credit: World of Plants

The 14th hour of working today and I probably look like a mess now 😆

Nevertheless, I have finally finished building my website! Woohoo!

It took me two whole weeks just to learn and build it by myself! I'm just so proud of myself right now because I never believed I could do this!

I'll still have to keep learning and improve my site, but every little achievement deserves a celebration. For that reason, I will reward myself with a chocolate medal today!🏅

I guess the saying "we don't know what we are capable of until we try" is true. Being a start-up with limited resources is difficult, but it can also be an opportunity to discover our hidden talent!

What is your hidden talent that made you so proud of yourself when you first discovered it? And how did you celebrate it? I would love to hear your sharing in the comment below, simply because any celebration is better done with two than one xx

Often, we invest in things that have a limited lifespan, such as phones or cars, but neglect the most important thing we have: our body.

Our body is the only thing that stays with us from birth to death, and it deserves our care and attention. We can start taking care of it today by acknowledging the stress that we are going through and implementing strategies to bring it under our control.

In this article, I will explore how it can harm our wellbeing and what we can do to prevent it. Take the free stress quiz that you can take to measure your own stress level today.

A Cup Of Thi | How stressed are you now? Often, we invest in things that have a limited lifespan, such as phones or cars, but neglect the most important thing we have: our body. Our body is the only thing that stays with us from birth to death, and it deserves our care and attention. We can start taking care of it today by acknowledging th...

♦️ Let your family members know that this is going to be your time for stillness and silence, kindly ask them not to disturb you until you finish the meditation.

♦️ As you meditate, your body temperature will go down, you may like to have extra clothes on or have a blanket with you (not too warm though because you may fall asleep if it is too comfortable)

♦️ If you are just starting out, you may not feel relaxed or awakened whatsoever after the first few sessions, and it is okay! It takes some practice to reach that state and even so, the results can still be mixed. So please be gentle on yourself, give yourself permission to let go of expectations and just observe your experience with a curious mind.

♦️ And of course, feel free to add anything that make your meditation space truly yours, such as lighting up a candle, or burning some essential oils, or having your favorite cushions around, etc. Anything that makes you feel safe and calm.

These are my tips for having a better meditation experience. If you have any other tips or maybe questions, please feel free to leave a comment below or send me a DM, I would love to hear from you x

We are all going to die (preferably not now), which means we are all aware of the limited time we have, therefore very carefully choose where and how to invest that time, so that we will find our happiness someday.

🫶If we believe money is happiness, we will spend that time making as much of it as we can.

🫶If we believe power is happiness, we will find every way to climb that ladder.

🫶If we believe our partner is our happiness, we will try to do everything to keep him or her in our lives.

🫶If we believe love is happiness, we will try to spread it everywhere to everyone.

🫶If we believe our inner peace is happiness, we will train ourselves to be so strong that nothing can break our spirits.

Where and how you spend your time says a lot about what you believe happiness is for you. If by now you find yourself asking "What do I believe happiness is?", you are being mindful. If you keep asking yourself "Have I found happiness it?" or "What can I do if the happiness I'm looking for is not there?", you are being mindful.

Mindfulness is indeed that simple, it requires nothing but your attention to yourself, finding what is truly aligned with your belief, your value, your purpose, therefore, helps you invest your precious time accordingly.

So, perhaps find yourself a safe space today, where you can sit down with a pen and paper, and start exploring yourself with the first question: "What is happiness is to me?" May you discover some incredible truth about you!

Although it sounds familiar, Meditation and Mindfulness are two different concepts.

Meditation is when we sit or lie down formally for a set period of time, resting our focus on a specific object such as our breath, a part of our body or a sensation.

Meanwhile, mindfulness is practiced both formally and informally, which means you can practice being mindful any time, when you are walking, eating, showering, brushing your teeth and so on. With mindfulness, your focus is placed on the present, i.e. whatever is happening around you, inside you, in the here and now.

By now you probably have figured out how meditation can complement your mindfulness practice. The longer you can sustain your focus during your meditation session, the better you can stay present in your life xo

MEDITATION MYTH BUSTER #2: WE HAVE TO MEDITATE IN SILENCE

Fact: You don’t have to meditate in silence, it is totally your choice!

Often when we think about meditation, the first picture that appears in our minds would be of a monk, sitting as still as possible, for as long as possible. They can sit there for hours, something that is deemed impossible for us. But I can guarantee you, meditation doesn’t have to be that hard.

✅Firstly, many of us are afraid of silent moments. We may feel unsettled, lonely, and scared. Luckily, there are many types of meditation that involve sounds and movements. For example, you can try chanting, mantras, drawing, walking, dancing meditations.

What matters is the intention in doing those activities. As long as you are placing your focus on those activities, in other words when you walk, you know that you are walking, when you chant, you put 100% of your mind on the chant, you are meditating. Meanwhile, meditating in silence will come to you naturally.

✅ Secondly, if you have grown to love meditating in silence, that’s great! But if you can’t find a quiet place to meditate, that is fine, too. Meditation is about training our focus and at the beginning, it will be easier for us to focus if there are no noise or distractions. But we can’t always find such places all the time. Besides, the aim of meditation is not to be still in silence but is to be still no matter what the external circumstances are like. It is about how we keep ourselves centered amidst chaos.

Think about those noises or distractions while you are meditating as challenges in our lives. Let’s get this straight! We can never completely get rid of problems or challenges. It is a part of our soul’s revolution, for behind each challenge is a lesson worth learning.

Just like the yin and yang symbol, every situation you are in, every person you meet, every thought that comes to your mind will always contain both wisdom and challenges. The loss of a job will bring opportunity for another one, the break-up with a lover will open the door for a more suitable one, and the list goes on.

Meditation will help us stay rooted, grounded, centered so that we can see beyond those challenges and find opportunities for ourselves.

So, every time you meditate, you can either decide to let the outside noises disturb you and give up on the practice, or you can allow them to help you meditate deeper, therefore, strengthening your centeredness. I know that although the latter is harder to do, it is obviously more beneficial to you, especially in the long run.

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR TODAY?

I am grateful for experiencing winter days.

I am not really a winter person; it is too cold for me! I used to hate the chilling air, the freezing wind, or the heavy weight of my thick jacket.

But lately, I discover that winter is when hot cocoa with marshmallow tastes so much more soothing and flavorful, or when a fresh-baked loaf of bread or a piping hot pizza seems to smell sooo much more deliciously, or when I can hug my little boy freely without him kicking me away because of the heat 😄.

I suddenly realize that even though everything seems to rest deeply in winter, the nights seem darker and colder, I can still find the light, the warmth, and the joy in every moment. And all I need to do to find them is just simply noticing their presence in everything I see or do. Winter, therefore, is not that awful, is it?

What about you? What are you grateful for today? xo

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The good thing about impermanence is that although it ends good things, it also ends bad ones. Whatever you are going through now, believe that it will end one day.

When we practice mindfulness, we practice accepting that nothing lasts forever. We train our minds to be still in the middle of chaos.

Excitement, joy, happiness or sorrow, sadness, pain, struggles will all come and go in their own courses. As long as we don't cling onto those feelings, we will always be able to find peace wherever we are.

A Cup Of Thi Qualified Meditation Teacher

One of the most important aspects of meditation is acceptance. As we meditate regularly and learn to watch our breaths, body sensations and feelings as they are, without judging, interfering, or controlling, we are then able to expand our acceptance to the external world. We see people as they are, things as they are without the urge to change them.

From that acceptance will grow a deep sense of inner peace as we don't have to fight with anything or anyone. Our body and mind, therefore, experience the true level of relaxation.

I'm so happy to announce that I am now an Insight Timer Teacher - a platform built specifically for meditation lovers 🧘‍♀️

You will now be able to listen to my guided meditation totally FREE!

I invite you to click the link to follow me for any future guided meditations, podcasts or courses.

What's more? The app will also give you access to thousands of other free guided meditations and podcasts. There are plenty of choices there to make sure you have your mental and emotional needs met.

So click the link now to start finding your own stillness 🥰

Thi Nguyen 20 million people use Insight Timer to sleep better, reduce anxiety, improve their happiness and learn to meditate. With more than 120,000 free titles, Insight Timer has the largest free library of sleep tools, music tracks and guided meditations on earth

MEDITATION MYTH BUSTER #1: TO MEDITATE IS TO GET RID OF THOUGHTS

To meditate is to observe our thoughts, sensations and feelings and get detached from them.

Let’s face it!

Constant changes in our life will always trigger thoughts, whether negative or positive. However, when we meditate, we make a conscious choice of not letting those thoughts affect us. We take a step back and just watch them flow in and out without judgement, interference, or control. We acknowledge that they are thoughts and just thoughts, created by our minds, in this moment. Those thoughts have no power to control us unless we choose to follow them. In other words, we have become their master.

Meditating regularly will turn that observation process into a new habit. By watching our thoughts constantly, we make the conscious choice of choosing the thoughts that serve us and let go of the ones that don’t, thus changing our action from reacting to responding.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELAXATION

Imagining your mind as a pot of water, with all the everyday stress being the flame heating that water up.

At the beginning, when the flame is only little, the water is just warm and still clear enough for you to see through. But as more stress is put in, the flame starts getting stronger, the water starts to move and shake, then it starts to bubble and boil. The bubbles rise to the surface and pop, releasing steam into the air. They keep coming more and more, bigger and bigger, eventually they boil so high and violently that you can no longer see the bottom of the pot.

What’s worse? The water may burst out of the pot and burn your hand, or it can eventually evaporate, leaving nothing left in the pot.

That is how harmful stress can be.

All the constant stress from everyday life, mortgages, bills, kids, competition at work, traffic, break-ups, divorces, can feed the flame powerfully. If we are not careful enough and turn the flame down when we need to, we too, like the water, can experience evaporation, burn-out, exhaustion, or we can burst and burn ourselves with anger, irritation, or frustration.

Constant relaxation is an effective way to reduce the stress flame. It is recommended that we practice relaxation for 20-30 minutes a day to reap its benefits.

Meditation is not the only way to relax, but it is one of the most powerful ways to do so. Unlike binge watching or other pleasures, relaxation meditation helps us connect deeply with our body, listening closely to it to know which part of our home needs our attention. By constantly being aware of how hot our water is and turning down the stress flame when we need to, our health, well-being and our quality of life can be greatly improved.

How do you rate your stress level? Do you have any ways of relaxing yourself? I would love to hear your sharing in the comments

Thư giãn cơ thể và trí não ngay tại nhà với lớp thiền Tiếng Việt được tổ chức online đều đặn vào Chủ Nhật hàng tuần lúc 8am - 9am

Thiền thư giãn bằng Tiếng Việt - Relaxing Meditation Class in Vietnamese Thư giãn cơ thể và trí não ngay tại nhà với lớp thiền Tiếng Việt được tổ chức online đều đặn hàng tuần

Unwind and destress right at home with my online "Easing into the evening - Relaxation Meditation" session on Sunday weekly @ 7PM

Easing into the evening - Relaxation Meditation Unwind and destress right at home with my online "Easing into the evening - Relaxation Meditation" session on Sunday weekly at 7PM

RELAXATION MEDITATION CLASS - SUNDAY WEEKLY

As you are reading these lines, you may notice that your jaws are starting to relax, your shoulders are dropping away from your ears, and now you are watching your breath flow naturally in and out of your nose. Allow yourself to enjoy this relaxing moment for a minute or two...

When was the last time you intentionally relaxed your body like this, even so, how long could you stay focused on relaxing it? Joining a relaxation meditation class can help you maintain that focus. It can also be a means of creating a good habit of setting a time where you are not disturbed by anyone and only pay attention to the person who needs your care the most: YOURSELF!

I believe that only when our health is at an optimum point can we keep giving care and love to people around us. With meditation, you may be able to manage your stress better, therefore have better sleep quality, better focus and mood, lower fatigue, and many more other benefits. You may also be able to experience joy and happiness at a new level, and everyone around you will benefit even just from your positive vibe. So, join me today and discover the experience yourself.

❤ My classes are run weekly on Sunday, online via Zoom, which is convenient and time saving (I don't even mind if you come online with your PJs on!)

❤You will be able to ask questions and share your experience, even make new friends with other like-minded people.

❤Classes are held with a small number of participants (maximum 7 people) to ensure individual attention and intimacy.

❤Classes are donation-based, meaning you can pay as much or as little as you like 🥰

If you are interested, I invite you to keep an eye out for the time and registration links in my next post xx

Love xx
Thi

WHAT IS THE POINT OF MEDITATION?

People often come to meditation for two main reasons: to achieve Samadhi, i.e. oneness, wholeness, or to develop Shakti pat, i.e. psychic ability.

You don't feel resonate with it? Are they not what you are trying to achieve right now? It is okay, allow yourself to throw them both out the window!

But then, what's going to be the point of meditation? - You may ask.

At the foundational level, meditation helps improve your concentration and attention.

Think about how taking regular trips to the gym can help strengthen your 💪over time, likewise, meditation will help train your brain's "muscles" 🧠. Even if you are in a relaxation session, you will still need a fair amount of energy to focus on your body and mind to relax them.

Being able to strengthen and direct our focus helps us perform tasks better. We stop thinking about work while at home, and about home while at work! Our memory improves, we pay better attention to details, we are more proactive in our actions, more productive in everything we do. Over time, we will even have the power to choose to have thoughts that serve us over the ones that harm us.

I hope this reason has given you a bit of motivation to meditate. Maintaining a healthy body is important, and so is a healthy mind. When you meditate, Samadhi may or may not come, and it is okay as your brain's "muscle" has already gotten stronger each time you meditate, i.e. YOU have already gotten stronger, and healthier! And that is all that matters!

Love,
Thi xx

My heart sings whenever I hear such a beautiful testimonial like this. It means that I have been successfully creating a loving and peaceful space for anyone attending my sessions. And that alone is already truly satisfying for me❤

Thank you, Petrina, for your invaluable feedback🙏🙏🙏

I wasn't born a disciplined person, a much-needed virtue if I want myself to grow. At the beginning of my self-improvement journey, I struggled so much because sometimes the emotional pain was so hard to bear. But because I knew it would be a beautiful place on the other side, I had to push myself and work around my issues instead of running away from it.

Knowing my flaws, I often forced myself to join live classes or courses, that way at least I would have my teachers to walk alongside me, help keep me on the right path until I could walk it myself. And for that I am forever grateful for all my teachers as well as friends and family who have been supporting me wholeheartedly 🙏

The presence of a companion is truly invaluable. Sometimes, before we can stand on our own two feet, doing everything by ourselves, it is okay to ask for some guidance from others. May you also find the right companion just like I did ❤

And the new journey begins! 🥰

*****

Và một hành trình mới bắt đầu!🥰

Meditation can serve so many different purposes:

🙏It can help us stay in the present and be aware of the beauty we see around us.
🙏It can aid in healing a physical, mental, or emotional body.
🙏It can also bring spiritual awakening, discovering the true path of our souls.

It is through meditation that we discover the great potential within us and stay true to who we are.
Practicing meditation, therefore, is the practice of love: loving yourself and loving others. Only through having compassion for ourselves can we learn to accept and love others for who they are.

The world was made with a you-shaped hole in it.
In that way you are important.
In that way you are here to make the world.
In that way you are called.

You-shaped Hole by Tara Mohr

Archetype 6: What do you need to know about it? - Soul Recovery Hub Archetype 6: The nurturer - Responsibility - Our path of service. Love yourself. You are good enough. And you always have your own place to fill in this universe.

5 can bring you new opportunities, but 5 can also throw chaos at you sometimes, and it might be extremely hard to cope. Our world is shattered, it seems like there is no way to put the pieces back together...

Archetype 5: What do you need to know about? 5 can bring you new opportunities, but 5 can also throw chaos at you sometimes, and it might be extremely hard to cope. Our world is shattered, it seems like there is no way to put the pieces back together.

Rules and safety. Responsibilities. Family and Societal expectations. Hardwork, Persistence, Goal oriented. Foundations. 4 is not an easy energy to get along with, but it will give you the strength and grounding needed in time of crisis.

Archetype 4: What do you need to know? - Rules and safety. Responsibilities. Family and Societal expectations. Hardwork, Persistence, Goal oriented. Foundations. 4 is not an easy energy to get along with, but it will give you the strength and grounding needed in time of crisis.

3 is where we learn how to communicate effectively. 3s are our social butterflies. 3 are the hosts with the most. They bring humor and fun with them to light up any party or social gatherings. They are the masters of words and communication.

Archetype 3: What do you need to know? 3s are our social butterflies, the hosts with the most. They bring humor and fun with them to light up any party or social gatherings. They are the masters of words and communication.

Archetype 2: What do you need to know about it?

"You can lie down for people to walk on you, and they will still complain that you are not flat enough"
Source: Internet

🍀Archetype 2 is about all the spheres of 1-on-1 relationships, whether it is the relationship with your partner, or the relationships with your siblings, friends, work colleagues, or your bosses. We value each other for who we are, and we are willing to put aside our wants and needs (1) for our relationships to work. We strengthen our relationships with love, trust and cooperation.
🍀In 2 we learn to inter-dependent on our partners. Love flourishes because we accept the other person for who they are. We understand what the other person's needs and respond to it appropriately. In return, we are also able to meet our needs through the other person. We embrace our differences and support each other physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We walk side by side and overcome our challenges together. By learning 2, you will be able to have harmonious relationships and still be you.
I invite you to visit my blog if you would like to know more about number 2. Click the link below
https://soulrecoveryhub.com/archetype-2-what-do-you-need-to-know-about-it/