“To practice toward awakening itself is the essence of bodhi. And that bodhi, if it had a voice, would be as wide as the world in its acceptance, love, and fairness. If we’re devoted to awakening itself, then it’s a no-brainer that we would be fierce to make it available to everyone” - Willa Blythe Baker
Inspired by the teachings, principles, and practices of Thich Nhat Hanh
“What you are looking for is already in you. . . You already are, everything that you are seeking”
- Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay)
bodhi seeds:
Brahmaviharas (4 Boundless Qualities)
loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity
(Impermanence Gatha)
“The day is ending and our life is one day shorter. Let us look carefully at what we have done. Let us practice diligently, putting our whole heart into the path of meditation. Let us live deeply each moment and in freedom, so that time doesn’t slip away meaninglessly.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
may the merit of this practice . . .
benefit all people
and bring peace
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In the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh (‘Thay’) /Plum Village
bodhi seeds welcomes you: new or seasoned practitioners
*(Zoom Link for all Online Gatherings)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85771024951?pwd=F5UuM708gMcu5MZlcTickSUYiHMz8g.1
Programs:
*Day of Mindfulness (DoM):
(Full-Day)
“Breathe, you are alive!” - Thay
“Turning the light Inward” (eko hensho):
In the spirit of Thay, bodhi seeds aims to collaborate with regional Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Tradition Mindfulness Groups (Tennessee, North Carolina) & other Buddhist Centers/Temples/Practice Centers, offering Mindfulness/Meditation practitioners both an in-person & online option for participation in a Day of Mindfulness (DoM): providing participants/practitioners a day of Breath-centric Embodied Mindfulness, Movement, & Meditation centered on Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati/Internal Art of the Breath) - rooted in the Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Tradition.
*An introduction to the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana) and the 4 Boundless Qualities of the Brahmaviharas: (Ease of Equanimity, Wholeheartedness of Loving-Kindness, Tenderness of Compassion, & Radiance of Joy), & the Plum Village (Thich Nhat Hanh) 5/14 Mindfulness Trainings will be offered as part of the DOM.
* When the location and the conditions are favorable, an outdoor walking meditation practice will be included.Recommended Reading:
Breathe, you are alive!
Thich Nhat Hanh
Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing
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*micro-DoM:
(Half-day)
Stillness in Movement, & Movement in Stillness
In the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh, bodhi seeds aims to collaborate with Yoga studios/centers, (practitioners & teachers) offering a Morning of Mindfulness: providing participants a morning of Breath-centric Embodied Mindfulness - Movement - Meditation centered on Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati/Internal Art of the Breath) - rooted in the Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Tradition, & and grounded in the TKV Desikachar breath-inspired Yoga principles of practice.
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*Internal Art of the Breath:
Breathing with the Brahmaviharas
(Mindfulness Movement Meditation Workshop/Course)
In-person (small group), deep inquiry, 4-week series on the cornerstone of Zen & Yoga - the principles & practices (4-tetrads/16 intervals) of Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati), woven with 4-Boundless Qualities (Brahmaviharas): Ease of Equanimity, Wholeheartedness of Loving-Kindness, Tenderness of Compassion, & Radiance of Joy.We will explore and embody this essential practice and pathway to presence through Mindfulness, Movement, and Meditation practices.
*With an introduction to the 4-Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana)
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*Sangha Gatherings:
‘ginko’
"Hiking Zen” & Haiku: Nature’s Wisdom
(ginko: mindfulness-meditation walk)
In the spirit of Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh), bodhi seeds hosts (4) seasonal ‘sangha’gatherings, inviting all mindfulness meditation and movement (yoga) practitioners to immerse ourselves together in the wisdom of the natural world. These gatherings will emphasize Walking Meditation as practiced by Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Tradition, and an interactive reflection period through the art and practice of haiku honoring Thich Nhat Hanh’s mindfulness poetry practice.
For Thay, reading & writing poetry were not just artistic acts, but ways to be in the present moment. Thay actively wrote and shared short, meditative verses called gathas (practice poems); practitioners often use these poems—synchronized with the breath—to bring awareness to routine actions like washing dishes, drinking tea, or other tasks throughout the day.
Recommended Reading:
Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature by Zen
Monks Brother Phap Xa and Brother Phap Luu
Foreword by Jon Kabat Zinn
*(trent tankyo thomson): Haiku Editor, The Dewdrop Magazine
https://thedewdrop.org/about-the-dewdrop/
Inviting the Bell to begin and end all gatherings
"May the sound of this bell bring relief to the world. May the hearers awaken from their delusion of a separate self." (excerpt from the bell gatha)*Living Gems: Collection of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Teachings
https://plumvillage.org/gems/
Bodhi is a Sanskrit word meaning a heightened state of awareness/awakening.
Embodied Mindfulness Meditation is the process of “turning the light inward,” (eko hensho) and letting go; the practice of cultivating internal qualities (bodhi seeds) with the breath as our guide . . . seeds of Mindfulness & loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity; at once, both the practice of meditation and the process of embodiment.
“We are a storehouse of all the seeds (Yogacara) . . . all of these seeds are in us " - Thay-
bodhi seeds is rooted in the Mindfulness & Meditation principles & practices of Thich Nhat Hanh (Plum Village Tradition), with practices & programs specifically designed & developed for the at-large Yoga and Meditation communites.
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Anapanasati (Mindfulness of Breathing) woven within the 4 - Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana) serves as the cornerstone of our practice; providing a breath-centric trellis for Embodied Mindfulness Meditation.
Our emphasis is on cultivating the Qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity (Brahmaviharas) through the process of self-inquiry & Internal Art of the Breath as our ethos.
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We seek to collaborate with other regional in-person Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Tradition Mindfulness Groups, Buddhist Centers/Temples, & Yoga Studios/Centers.
Our practices, principles, & programs are designed & developed specifically for Yoga Practitioners & Professionals.
‘Meditation’ (Bhavana): Cultivating Qualities
Brahmaviharas: bodhi seeds
Wholeheartedness of Loving-Kindness, Tenderness of Compassion, Radiance of Joy, & Ease of Equanimity
Thich Nhat Hanh skillfully wove mindfulness meditation principles & practices into daily living, sharing the Brahmaviharas (bodhi seeds): loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Inspired by Thay & The Plum Village Tradition, bodhi seeds’ ethos is to cultivate conditions for sharing & sowing these ‘seeds’ with others.
bodhi seeds aims to assist Yoga practitioners & professionals and Mindfulmess Meditators alike in developing a foundation for a Personal Practice, grounded in self-inquiry & discovery (awakened to the depth of ordinary life/spiritual practice) & rooted in the Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village Mindfulness Meditation practices.
The cornerstone of bodhi seeds’ offerings, practices, & trainings is Mindfulness of Breathing (Internal Art of the Breath) Anapanasati.
“The practice of breathing mindfulness is perhaps Buddhism’s greatest gift to the world.”
- Sarah Shaw, Oxford Scholar & Writer
Facilitator
(my background)
Rooted in Zen Buddhism, trent tankyo thomson serves as a Mindfulness Meditation & Movement Mentor (Embodied Zen Yoga), inspired & guided by the teachings, principles & practices of Thich Nhat Hanh & The Plum Village Tradition.trent/ tankyo has been a mentor/teacher/guide/spiritual director in the contemplative spiritual arts and Eastern mindfulness and movement practices for over 20 years, with training in Taoist Internal (Martial) Arts, both major branches (Soto & Rinzai), and the Plum Village Tradition of Zen Buddhism, alongside Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 500-hr Certification) on the principles of a personal practice in the T.K.V. Desikachar Tradition; these trainings, along with a year-long Immersion training in Zen Yoga, and holds advanced certifications in Somatic and Yin Yoga.trent tankyo thomson
Literary links:
https://bodhiseeds.substack.com
sitting quietly, doing nothing
spring comes, the grass
grows by itself
- Basho
Contact Information Below:
"Breathe, you are alive!" - Thay
"Breathe, you are alive!" - Thay
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