Authenticity

Gelong Thubten, Buddhist monk and co-founder of Samten, has trained for many years, a process which involved several periods of strict meditation retreat, the longest of which was 4 years. His calling is to bring the benefits of meditation and mindfulness to the world, and Samten uses traditional methods, including meditation with the eyes open - which is believed to be the most powerful version.

Samten encourages you not to blank out your mind, but to change your relationship with your thoughts, to become less controlled by them and to accept them as they are. They come and go and we all have it within our power to watch and observe the thoughts - to be mindful of them. When we acknowledge them and don’t grasp after them, we can begin to set ourselves free.

Whilst meditation is a more focused practise, which we recommend you practise daily, building up length and consistency over time, it is the combination of meditation and mindfulness in daily life that is most powerful. Once we become mindful of our thoughts, we can apply the moments of mindfulness throughout the day, using that, for example, in stressful moments to acknowledge the present moment and relax.