The Great Bell Chant

This is one of our favourite videos and chants. It's read by our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, and chanted by Brother Phap Niem. When we listen to the song, it reminds us that we're so blessed to be on this beautiful mindful path. It reminds us to connect to our true selves and know that we can smile with understanding and love at our suffering.

Here is the bell chant, written by Thich Nhat Hanh:

May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them ceases
Understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.

The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens: a beautiful child appears in the heart of a lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water is enough
To bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.

Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm, my body relaxed
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell
My breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom beautifully.

With a big smile,
Sarah

How to Practice When Your Partner Is Not Interested in Mindfulness

Question: How can I practice when my partner is not interested in the practice?

Thay’s Answer: When you are lovable, when you are fresh, when you are appreciative of the other person, you have the chance that everything you do is appreciated by him or her. When you truly love a person, you love everything about that person. That is a natural tendency, and that is why the spiritual can be recognised in every act of daily life. We don’t need to say that it is spiritual. That will turn people off.

When you drink our tea mindfully, peacefully, and happily, there is mindfulness, concentration, and insight in you. Drinking tea is a spiritual thing. It radiates peace, happiness, and joy. That is already spiritual. We don’t need to say, “Well, I want to drink my tea spiritually.” The practice of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings is like that, too. You don’t need to say, “I practice the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.” You just live according to the trainings and practice without a name, but it is a real practice. You are Buddhist, but you don’t need to tell that you are a Buddhist.

You don’t want to impose on him or her your way. If you practice well, you are happy and fresh, that’s good enough. One day the other person may ask, “Darling, how could you do it? In such situation, I would not be able to do it like you.” That is the time where you can share your practice formally. But be the practice and the Dharma first and that is good enough. You draw him or her into the practice in one way or another.

Remember, don’t try to impose your practice on him or her. Don’t practice too formally. There are those who practice walking meditation in a very funny way. They want to show that they are practicing walking meditation. They don’t look very natural (everyone laughs). There are those who walk very deeply and happily, but they show that they are too serious in the practice. When you breathe in mindfully and joyfully, don’t try to show people that you’re breathing in mindfully and you’re a good practitioner. (everyone laughs)

In Buddhism, we have an expression: “Practice the non-practice.” We don’t need to have much appearance. And that way, we can convey the essence of the practice and if the person wants to be happy, peaceful and serene, they have a chance to learn.

This was transcribed by Wake Up from a Q&A sessions with Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, May 2014.

Loving, Peaceful & Joyful Awareness

What is mindfulness? This is the question we start with at all our trainings and workshops, with a brainstorm on the whiteboard. We love hearing our students' answers and every brainstorm is different and full of beautiful insights.

For Hang and I, the mindfulness practice begins with being present so that we can have awareness of four things:

1. Body
2. Mind
3. Emotions
4. Surroundings

As the mindfulness path is about cultivating understanding and compassion for ourselves and others, we like to practice with loving, peaceful and joyful awareness of these four things. This way there are no judgments or reactions, and we are aware of ourselves and others in a very kind and gentle way. 

So next time you become aware of an ache in your body, a thought or an emotion, try practicing loving, peaceful and joyful awareness, and smile at it with your understanding and compassion. 

With a big joyful hug,
Sarah

August & September 2016: Yoga Classes & Events in Kingston, Ontario

Hello lovely Canadian Friends, a big maple syrup hug to you! We have arrived. We are home. In the here and in the now.

We're happy to be back in Canada until October to deeply inhale the fresh air and hopefully see you all. 

We have a few special events lined up in Kingston and would love it for you to join us. We will also be holding regular yoga classes at GoodLife. All the event listings and details are below.

We're also both available for private yoga or mindfulness sessions, massages, and Reiki. Email to make appointments: saigonom@gmail.com

The peace in our heart sees the peace in your heart,
Sarah & Hang

YOGA CLASSES
Stay updated via our website Events Page: CLICK HERE

Sunday, August 28 @ Battery Park 9:30-10:30am (Lululemon with Sarah)
Thursday, September 1 @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm
LABOUR DAY: Monday, Sept. 5 @ GoodLife Norwest 11:30am-12:30pm
Tuesday, September 6 @ GoodLife Barrack 5:30-7pm
Monday, September 12 @ Goodlife Barrack 12-1pm
Tuesday, September 20 @ GoodLife Barrack 5:30-7pm
Thursday, Sept. 22 @ GoodLife Barrack HOT Yoga 5:30-6:30pm, AND @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm
Thursday, Sept. 29 @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm

QI GONG WORKSHOP
Saturday, August 27, 2016, 9:30-11:30am. Investment: $40. Location: Kingston Waterfront

In this workshop you will learn the “8 Pieces of Brocades” which consists of a sequence of eight gentle standing exercises performed slowly and gracefully to coincide with the breath. It is easy and fun to learn and takes about 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. The ‘8 Pieces‛ leaves you feeling energized, refreshed and ready to go. You will also learn energy release and activation exercises to clear energetic blockages, turning stress into vitality. 

Qi Gong is a long term training program practiced to circulate, cultivate, regulate, enhance, and guide internal energies to achieve health, vitality, and spiritual awareness. It is an ancient Chinese system of healing and rejuvenation. It involves using your mind, conscious breathing and body to direct the flow of energy. 

MINDFULNESS COURSE
A 6-class course held over 3 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30-8pm. September 6, 8, 13, 15, 20 & 22. Investment $90.

This course is about learning to integrate mindfulness in our daily lives. You will be guided in various mindful activities and assigned homework to deepen your personal practice and growth. Some of the guided course activities include: guided meditation, walking meditation, silent sitting meditation and mindful movements with gentle stretching (Qi Gong & yoga.) The group setting also helps cultivate and regenerate our mindfulness energy. Beginners and seasoned practitioners welcome. 

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/mindfulness-training/

SHAMBALLA REIKI LEVEL 1 & 2 TRAINING COURSE
Saturday, September 10 & Sunday, September 11, 9am-5pm. Investment $375.

Shamballa Reiki is a method of energy healing. It is an expansion of Dr Usui’s Reiki method. The Shamballa energy works on all levels of an individual’s being, from the physical body through to the outermost layers of the energy field. Because of this multi-layered quality, this modality of healing works on all dimensions - physical, mental, emotion and spiritual. 

Shamballa supports the body’s ability to heal itself naturally. By the end of this 2-day course, you will be attuned as a Shamballa Reiki practitioner, where you serve as a conduit for a positive healing energy that is sourced in the divine. 

The training will cover: 

• History of Reiki
• What is healing and why do we need it
• Chakras
• Meditations for grounding, Chakra opening, and heart opening
• Deep relaxation 
• Two attunements for the transmission of Reiki energy to the students
• Self-healing
• Gentle Qi Gong to wake up the body in the morning 
• Reiki symbols and how to use them
• Practical step-by-step guidance on working with clients
• Time for practicing Reiki

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/reiki-training/

YOGA & MINDFULNESS IMMERSION
Module 1 (50 hours) of our 200-Hour Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. Investment $800 (for 6 days). Held over 2 long weekends: September 16-18 & 23-25.

This module is about you. We return to the foundation of your practice and begin anew to help you deepen your yoga practice; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The practice might bring about pleasant feelings and unpleasant feelings. We’ll show you yoga and mindfulness tools to embrace or take care of these feelings, whatever they might be.

Covered in this module:

• Pranayama (breathing exercises)
• Qi Gong
• History of yoga
• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Individual joint range of motion test
• Ayurvedic Doshas
• How to cultivate love, joy & compassion
• 8 Limbs of Yoga as they apply to you
• Mantra chanting. 

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/events/2016/9/16/yoga-mindfulness-immersion-in-kingston-ontario

To register or if you have questions we’d love to hear from you, please email Hang & Sarah at saigonom@gmail.com

6 + 1 Things

6 + 1 things I wish high school taught me:

1. Nutrition and how to cook simple healthy meals to nourish my body, the temple of my soul.
2. A Personal Training course to safely take care of the temple of my soul.
3. Yoga or Tai Chi to keep my soul clear and fresh... and weed free!
4. MINDFULNESS so I can enjoy every bite of my cooking, love & take care of my body with awareness, carry the yummy yoga/Tai Chi practice off the yoga mat & sprinkle it everywhere, on every person, plant & animal.
5. Math is not at all that scary and can teach me to solve other life problems... on my own. *whoop*
6. How two rite a propa centince...centence..scentense...sentense....Argh, Eye giving, give, given up!
7. Cultivate respect, appreciation, understanding & compassion for the people around me, especially my parents.

And, that's all I have to say about that :-)

Namaste,
Hang

YMTT Reflections

We had such an amazing month by the ocean in Vietnam.

If our Instagram account is any indication, it was a month in pure paradise!

Our yoga & mindfulness teacher training (YMTT) students were with us for 26 straight days. Some of them had no prior experience with mindfulness before. They went from living without awareness to truly stepping on the mindful path, embracing mindful eating, mindfully walking everywhere around the resort, making up their own gathas (mindful poems), and in love with every single Plum Village mindful song :-) We laughed and cried tears of joy in every Dharma sharing! There was so much transformation as suffering was let go of, and many awakening and joyful moments. And now our students are already out there (in Canada and Vietnam) sharing yoga and mindfulness with their students and feeling so much joy doing it. 

We feel so blessed to be able to live and share this beautiful mindful path.

We Love What We Do

You know the saying “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work in a day” ? Sarah and I feel like that sometimes, especially when we get to sit and share our practices with people we’ve met around the globe. Our most recent special encounter was sharing the Shamballa Reiki training with six wonderful women the weekend of April 23rd in the Melbourne area.  Sarah and I both gave 6 attunements in 2 days and we felt like we both also received 6 attunements.  We felt more fresh and clearer after the weekend. Yes, we really love what we do, be it mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi/Qi Gong, massage or Reiki, it is the right livelihood for us. We couldn’t really do it with the support of our friends and students.

We all suffer to some extent. Waking up with a sore back is a form of suffering. Having that argument nagging in the back of your head is another form of suffering. It’s really wonderful for us to meet people who are willing to take care of their suffering and then help others like what these wonderful six women are doing through the Universal energy called “Reiki” and the practice of Mindfulness.  Life is just too short to not take care our pain and sorrow.

Please enjoy this short video I’ve put together to capture the weekend of healing and joy with our new 6 friends.

Love & Peace,
Hang

If you’re in the Melbourne area and would like to receive Shamballa Reiki treatments, please contact these friends.

Contact: Melanie Fisher
Human Angle: Counselling and Consulting in Human Resources, Career Coaching
Services provides in Healesville and the Centre at Kangaroo Ground
t: 0488198080  e: melanie@humanangle.com.au     w: www.humanangle.com.au

Contact: Carly Leviston  and Carol Holmes-Gack
Offering Shamball Reiki inDiamond Creek, Hurstbridge,  Wattle Glen,  Kangaroo Ground, Greensborough, Eltham, Montmorency and Plenty
t: 0429 360 723 or 0401 308 880   e: carlyleviston@hotmail.com 

A Weekend with Plum Village Monastics

    As most of our friends and family know, Sarah and I have been following the teachings of Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, for some time now. This past weekend we had the privilege of deepening our mindfulness practice with the inspiration and guidance from the sisters and Plum Village spiritual community in Beaufort, Victoria, Australia.  We feel refreshed and recharged to say the least.  

I had many wonderful moments at the retreat. Some of them include:

• Meeting 5 new sisters who recently came over from Plum Village France. 
• Meeting many new friends on the path.
• 5am wake up call to the sound of a giant bell.
• Many delicious Vietnamese vegan meals made with so much love and mindfulness.
• Supporting our friends with their 5 Mindfulness Trainings transmission.
• Guiding retreatants through a gentle morning yoga practice in the Meditation Hall.
• Camping in our saigon om bus in the 3C temperature - good times. 

I strongly suggest visiting any Plum Village around the world for a week or two and you'll see what I mean. No mindfulness experience is necessary; just an open heart and an open mind. The monastics will welcome you with a smile and open arms. You'll also meet wonderful people and Sanghas on the same path that can help support your practice after you return home. 

Please enjoy the slideshow of photos I took over the weekend. 

I invite you to send me an email if you have questions about Plum Village or this auspicious mindful path. Hang: saigonom@gmail.com 

Smiling and Breathing,
Hang

Our friends getting their 5 Mindfulness Trainings 

Creating a Sangha Wherever We Go

Hang and I met in 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her loving words, immense knowledge about yoga and joyful outlook on life were magnetic.  Hang later told me that my calmness, openness and healing hands, as her massage therapist, drew her to me. We made an instant connection, which resulted in many delicious vegetarian meals and great conversations.

Hang was born in Vietnam and moved to Canada when she was eight years old. Her active lifestyle started with fitness and mixed martial arts, and later transitioned into yoga.   In 2006 Hang discovered the mindfulness path, which she began to incorporate into her life and into the classroom as a maths and science teacher.   

I grew up in Melbourne and have been living overseas for the past ten years. I am a massage trainer and a Reiki and  yoga  teacher.  When I learned to meditate at twelve years old,  I immediately loved the calmness and the clarity of thought that I experienced. 

Hang's way of introducing mindfulness to me was for us to do sitting and walking meditation together every Saturday morning, then read and discuss Thay's books. This  helped me to "wake up" and live with more awareness.  Getting in touch with the peacefulness and silence within was a transformative experience.  I developed more understanding and compassion for myself and others, found joy in my daily activities and connected to my family in a more loving way. 

In 2013, Hang and I formed "saigon om", a holistic wellness school in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Two years later, we decided to travel between Australia, Vietnam and Canada together to spread our joy for life through yoga and mindfulness teacher training, mindfulness courses, retreats, massage and Reiki training ,and Tai Chi teacher training.  Our motto is "Travel, Teach & Learn."  We love the work that we do and seeing the transformation in our students as they begin to live with more awareness and joy, is  inspiring. We feel it is our duty to share the benefits of  mindfulness practice, because it has helped us so much.

When we are in Australia and Canada we spend time with our families and offer classes, retreats and workshops.  We love practising with Sanghas around the world, including Birrarung Sangha in Melbourne, True Peace Sangha in Toronto and a Sangha we started originally, in Ho Chi Minh City. We feel we create a Sangha wherever we go with our loved ones, students, and practice friends.  

To help us deepen our  practice we visit Thai Plum Village each year.  It is very special to connect with the monks and nuns and be inspired by their dedication to the practice path. We have heard that one week of practising at Plum Village is like one year of practising at home; and we always leave feeling lighter and fresher - walking more slowly, and smiling at everyone. 

Sarah Martin (Mindful Action of the Heart)

saigon om Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training

I'm constantly being reminded by students who come to us that showing people how to take care of their suffering and bring more joy into their lives is our (saigon om) Dharma/path given how the unconscious world has made us believe that the unimportant is important. Case in point: external beauty/looks, comparison, expectation, regretting about the past, worrying about the future that is not yet here. When in reality we have a plethora of tools that can help us overcome our suffering and see that living in the present moment and having a sense of gratitude can bring about love, wisdom and understanding for life. Namaste, Hang

March 2016 Newsletter

Our March newsletter is ready! Click here. to read it as you breathe and smile. 

We love sharing our mindful and joyful journey. And we'd be delighted for to join us at an event in Melbourne or Vietnam in 2016.

If you'd like to receive our quarterly newsletter to stay updated with our news and events, email us at saigonom@gmail.com

Weekend Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat

Come to this wonderful weekend to deepen your yoga and mindfulness practice. The retreat includes oodles of fun, yoga, mindfulness and time for silence.

Beginners are welcome.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 6-8
Location: North Warrandyte, suburb of Melbourne
Investment: $275, includes shared accommodation, meals and snacks

Friday
Arrive between 5pm and 6pm
6pm: Welcome Circle, Gentle Qi Gong & Yoga Practice
7pm: Mindful Dinner
8 - 8:30pm: Mindfulness Session
* 9pm to 8:30am next day: Noble Silence

Saturday 
7-8am Qi Gong & Walking Meditation in the Bush
8-8:30am Fruit, Tea, Coffee in Noble Silence
8:30-10:30 Short Lecture & Yoga
10:30-3pm Mindful Brunch & Free Time
3-4:30pm Restorative Yoga
6pm Mindful Dinner
7:30-8pm Mindfulness Session
* 8:30pm to 8:30am next day: Noble Silence

Sunday
7-8am Qi Gong & Walking Meditation in the Bush
8-8:30am Fruit, Tea, Coffee in Noble Silence
8:30-10:30am Short Lecture & Yoga
10:30am: Mindful Brunch
12pm: Check Out

For registrations or enquiries: saigonom@gmail.com 0484 090 073

Plum Village Australia Fundraiser

Hang and I were delighted to hold a One-Day Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat to raise money for Plum Village Australia. We enjoyed a beautiful day of Qi Gong, walking meditation among the olive grove, sitting meditation, gentle yoga, mindful eating, deep relaxation, Dharma sharing, singing, and hugging meditation.

Afterwards our students commented that they felt balanced, grounded and calm.

We are very thankful to Cara Britton who very kindly donated the use of her beautiful yoga studio in Kangaroo Ground for the event.

We raised $400 for the construction at Plum Village Australia. Thank you to everyone that attended and shared your mindfulness energy and loving smiles. 

A lotus to you,
Sarah & Hang

Connecting to Nature

We moved into our beautiful little mudbrick cottage this week. We're surrounded by nature, the Australian bush, with gumtrees everywhere and lots of wildlife around. So far we've enjoyed the company of kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras, galahs, wombats, echidnas, and this little possum who has made a home on our roof. Breathing in, I smile at nature. Breathing out, I feel calm and peaceful. 

Smiling At Life Upside Down

Sirsasana or headstand is one of our very favourite poses. It's so great for developing core  and shoulder strength, and amazing for clearing the mind. Being upside down like this develops focus and concentration. If the mind starts to wonder then we can lose our balance and fall out of the pose. Breathing in, I smile. Breathing out, I wiggle my toes in the air :-)

Happy to be Home in Australia

Hang and I arrived in Melbourne, Australia last week. We'll be staying here for the next 6 months. We packed up our home in Saigon in June, with a new journey of spending more time in Australia and Canada each year. We'll still return to our beloved Vietnam twice a year to hold our courses and retreats by the ocean in Mui Ne. 

Yesterday we were walking along the ocean in Barwon Heads and I felt happy and peaceful just to be "at home". Having lived overseas for 10 years with only short visits home once a year, it feels amazing to know that we'll be here for the next 6 months and will spend more time in Australia each year. Lots of time to enjoy Australian life; the fresh air, nature, beaches and ocean, and most of all quality time with my family.

Breathing in, I smile at the ocean.
Breathing out, I feel fresh and peaceful.

Happy holiday season everyone :-)
With a huge smile,
Sarah

Our Motto: Travel, Teach & Learn

Hang practicing her handstand in an arm balancing class at Radiantly Alive Yoga Studio in Ubud, Bali. 

As Hang and I began our new journey of traveling around the world to offer our courses and retreats, we are happy to find ourselves on a new path of teaching and learning - enjoying our work of teaching and sharing and also "filling our cups" by taking time to immerse ourselves in training and retreats. Our new motto: "Travel, Teach & Learn". 

This year we have been to Thai Plum Village three times to cultivate our mindfulness practice, visited Pai in Northern Thailand to complete our Reiki 1,2 & Master levels with Mark Allison, and spent a week in Ubud, Bali, practicing yoga at Radiantly Alive. 

Here's to an amazing year ahead of teaching, sharing and always having a beginner's mind.

With a huge smile,
Sarah

A Week of Yoga in Ubud, Bali

In case you didn't know, Hang and I LOVE yoga. Naturally, with 5 weeks off to travel in Asia, we chose to spend a week in Ubud, Bali. We booked a resort right near our favourite yoga studio and immersed ourselves in a week of amazing yoga classes. Radiantly Alive yoga studio has some wonderful and experienced teachers.

We bought a 7-day pass and joyfully attended 23 classes! The classes included various styles of yoga and mindful movement: Ashtanga inspired, Mysore, Vinyasa flow, Qi Gong, roll & release, Yin, and restorative.  A typical day for us was something like this: yoga, breakfast, yoga, lunch, rest, yoga, swim, yoga, dinner. We learned so much, strengthened our practice and felt inspired to continue on our path of teaching and sharing.

We are returning to Bali in March 2016 to offer massage training at The Balé. Of course, we'll fit in another 7 days of amazing yoga at Radiantly Alive!

Namaste & Love,
Sarah

Reiki Training in Pai, Thailand

Last month, Hang and I spent some time in Pai, in northern Thailand, learning Reiki with Mark Allison. I've been practicing Reiki for about 10 years so I really enjoyed refreshing my Reiki knowledge and learning a new style of Reiki called "Shamballa", a very intuitive style of energy healing. Hang and I will return to Pai in early December to complete our Reiki Master course to learn how to teach Reiki. We are excited to be offering Reiki training in Australia, Vietnam and Canada in the new year.

Yoga & Mindfulness Retreats in Mui Ne, Vietnam

The word "retreat" means to withdraw or step back. In our case, it is to withdraw inward so we can reconnect to our true self; full of love, joy, and peace. A retreat can be nourishing and healing because it is a time to take care of ourselves - our pain and our joy; especially if we have a busy lifestyle. "It is a wonderful time to meet like-minded people for the support", as one participant puts it. Another student says, "It was a wonderful venue and setting to process and let go of something that has been stuck inside for a long time."

With that said, it was a joy for Sarah and I to share the art of "slowing down" & looking deeply at both retreats in early October, 2015. We guided participants through everything that we ourselves practice ; Qi Gong, energy release work, Lomi Lomi massage, Reiki, mindful walking, eating and hugging! And, of course, various forms of yoga.

We have our students to thank for always inspiring us to stay on this Bodhisattva path.

May all beings everywhere be happy and free,
Hang