How Meditating Connects My Path

A wellness practitioner and the founder of the Sukkasart Institute of Healing Arts in Thailand, Dr. Buathon Thienarrom, Ph.D., has an extensive nursing, psychology, and health sociology background. She takes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, drawing on her expertise in Taoism, sound healing, Tibetan medicine, and meditation.

Here, she shares a great practice for beginners, her daily routine, and why she feels younger than ever.

Q: What practice would you suggest for a beginning meditator?

A: Sit upright, take a deep breath and exhale. You will feel the heat coming out of the body. When our minds are racing, we store heat, similar to a machine with the engines running. So breathe in, exhale, and release the sound "hummm" at least 10 times. If you're very stressed, do it 20 or 30 times. Then recheck the heat; you should feel cooler, which means your mind has slowed down.

After that, breathe in and put the left hand on the heart. As you inhale, connect to the movement of the chest. Before you exhale, smile down to the heart to make it happy. Do this 10 or 20 times. Once you've calmed down and can go deeper, breathe in very slowly and allow the mind to follow the breath. Feel the breath going up and down your insides. This is a straightforward technique that everyone can practice.

Q: What does your daily meditation practice look like?

A: In the mornings, I breathe in, smiling down to my heart five to 10 times to activate its energy. I allow the mind to follow the breath. Once I'm calm, I go to a state of silence. Things intuitively come up here, and when that happens, I acknowledge it and continue my journey with silence until I feel recharged.

From there, I start to dedicate positive vibrations to my higher self, family members, friends and other beings. I keep myself centered because I have the inner energy to move on during the day when the mind is centered and focused. If I need an answer to something, I wait until after the silent period to work on the solution because I'll have a clear mind.

In the evenings, I do a brief meditation of maybe 10 minutes to calm the mind down so I can have a restful sleep.

Q: Is there anyone who's had a significant impact on your work?

A: I've studied with many masters to find a technique, mainly a Thai Buddhist monk and a Tibetan master. I follow His Holiness Dalai Lama for compassion study.

Q: What are the greatest benefits you've received from meditation?

A: Meditation has brought me more focus. We all are here to follow our blueprint, so we must learn to connect to our path. We know how to walk the path slower and with greater clarity when we understand this. When your mind is focused, you can communicate your needs. You're not looking to other people to please you because you know what you want, and you can express it. That is the most important thing I've gotten from my meditation practice.

I also feel more empowered in terms of my mental and physical energy. Even now, I can feel my physical energy is more than when I was younger.

Q: Other than meditation, are there things you like to do every day that help you feel your best?

A: I do Tibetan prostration 108 times every day. I don't like to go to the gym as it gives different vibrations, so I tend to do my exercise at home. I work up a sweat and move the wind, air, the stagnant energy in my body. It's about the focus as well.

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