Finding your way
The Way of Mindfulness

Finding your way in life can be challenging. There is no single formula, each life is unique and each person has his or her own challenges to deal with. 

Yet we are all swimming in the same pond, having found ourselves here in a body, with no memory of how exactly we came here. We are here, and each moment is fleeting by. It flies by and already the next moment passes. 

The stream of life is unstoppable. The Buddha said the three natures of all things are: impermanence, imperfect, and uncontrollable. Through the proces of attachment and identification we are blinded to see this nature. In fact, our general way of moving through life is in a state unaware of this nature of things. 

The Buddha shared with us his insights into the nature of all things, and how we are stuck in this never ending world of samsara. He taught us there is a way out of samsara, namely by following the eightfold path. The goal of the eightfold path is to reach freedom from samsara, to become the observer. This is done by detaching and letting go of all our identifications. Happiness, peace and compassion arise naturally in all of us as we detach and let go. 

I have found that for new students it is very difficult to grasp that one finds more happiness, peace, understanding and compassion towards him or herself through detaching and letting go. Often this detaching is not understood and seen as somewhat depressing. What about happy things? What about my children?  

Consider what attachment does to us, our identifications. Does it make us more openminded and flexibel? When you think of a person who is very pleasant, what are his or her characteristics? Probably they are patient, kind, a good listener, a clear minded individual. The more one is attached to his life, for instance when stressed about work, is he there for himself or for others? Or is a mother really there for her children, when worrying about them or their futures? 

Following his way, the way of mindfulness (the Eightfold Path) does not mean stopping your life as you know it, needing to completely change it against your will, or becoming a monk. Or that you will have no more feelings and will be dull, lethargic and uninterested in things. It is the opposite. You become more present. And so more accepting, patient, loving, understanding, compassionate. You are there for others and yourself.

I want to encourage you to find out what mindfulness is and what it could mean for you, if you apply it in your life. 

Through the year I give different courses and programs on mindfulness. I am really happy to be able to share the very simply and clear techniques with you. These techniques can change your life if you apply them consistently in your life.