TLDR: My time at Plum Village showed me that mindfulness isn’t confined to formal meditation, but can be gently practised to nourish everyday moments- walking, eating, listening, and resting. Through learning how to embrace and care for strong emotions with tenderness, and transform conflicts and differences into deeper understanding and connection, these practices continue to support and gently transform my daily life beyond the retreat.
Anchoring Within: How the Practice Benefitted My Life
When I first read Thich Nhat Hanh’s (Thay’s) book Fear many years ago, I was deeply amazed by how something so simple could be so grounding. The gentle phrase – “Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in; breathing out, I know I’m breathing out” – continually brought me back to the present, showing me how mindfulness could be integrated into daily life.
Last year, when my grandma’s health fluctuated, I found it difficult to meditate or find stillness. During that time, I anchored myself in meditative verses from How to Live When a Loved One Dies. These teachings helped me stay with my strong emotions rather than push them away – holding them tenderly, like a mother cradling her child. The practice reassured me that even amid life’s storms, I could find refuge within.
My curiosity further deepened after watching the Plum Village documentary Walk With Me. Seeing the monastics practice mindfulness so seamlessly – through walking meditation, deep relaxation, and pausing at the sound of the bell – inspired me with the possibility of living each day with greater presence. On hectic days, when stillness feels hard to access through breathing alone, I often turn to The Way Out Is In podcast, which gently helps me come home to myself.
For years, visiting Plum Village has sat at the top of my bucket list, as I wanted to experience the space, the people, and the living practice that have supported me through various parts of my life’s journey.
Plum Village Wake Up Retreat
In August 2025, I finally had the conditions to visit Plum Village, France for the Wake Up Retreat: The Power of Love (for young adults aged 18–35). It turned out to be very different from what I had expected. I thought I would be doing a lot of formal sitting meditation, but instead I received another precious gift – learning how to connect deeply with my heart and with others.
Retreat schedule
The retreat includes:
- Dharma talks on love and communication
- Sharing circles, where people vulnerably shared about their lives, learnings, and experiences
- Walking meditation
- Mindful eating
- Singing meditation (Plum Village has lots of fun-loving music- my top favourite songs are Simple Things, Happiness is Here and Now, Breathing In, Breathing Out)
- Service meditation
- Deep relaxation (yes, we got to nap after lunch and fully rest our bodies and minds- one of my favourite activities!)
- Lazy day, devoted entirely to rest and being rather than doing
Mindfulness was woven into every moment. During my free time, I doodled, reflected, and allowed insights to slowly arise. Below are some key realizations and precious lessons I’ve been carrying into my daily interactions and life. I hope they may resonate with or support you in your own journey.
Insights from the Wake Up Retreat
- Embracing Grief: “If You Have Received Love, Don’t Let It End”
During a Dharma talk, Sister Brightness ended with the words: “If you have received love, don’t let it end.” She spoke about how, after Thay’s passing in 2022, the community continued his practices of mindful living and carried his love forward. Thay was like a loving grandfather to her, which deeply resonated with me, as my grandma holds a similar place in my heart.
This simple sentence allowed me to touch my anticipatory grief. I realised I had been afraid that the joy and love in myself would disappear after a loved one passed. Hearing this teaching opened my heart. I cried deeply and felt relief as I witnessed the possibility of how Plum Village continued Thay’s love and teaching even after he passed. I felt grateful that I could continue my grandma in me – through the genuine care, loving-kindness, and joy she embodied.
- Interbeing: We Are All Different — and the Same
[Photo of the Radiant Sunflower family group – the lovely friends I spent my 8 days with]
At the beginning of the retreat, I felt a little out of place. There were over 800 retreatants, many of them Westerners, who felt like movie stars to me – tall, sharp-featured, confident, with distinctive accents. In the first few days, I felt quite different from everyone in culture, experiences, and appearance.
As the days passed and we connected through sharing circles, I began to see how similar we are internally. We all experience suffering, joy, love, and the wish to deepen our mindfulness. As I slowly let go of comparison and difference, I felt more open and connected, and a deeper sense of interbeing among all of us.
This insight extends beyond the retreat. Recognising that everyone seeks happiness and carries their own suffering helps us feel compassion and open our hearts to those we once felt distant from or struggled to understand.
Some questions Plum Village offered that may help build deeper connection with loved ones or friends include:
- “What’s your inner weather like right now?”
- “What landscape represents your current state of being?”
- Inviting Our Loved Ones into Our Mindful Practice
During walking meditation, I initially struggled with scattered thoughts. A monastic brother shared about inviting our loved ones into our practice. When I tried this, my steps became more intentional. Knowing that the practice benefited not only me but also my loved ones helped me stay present.
This insight applies to daily life too. When our actions serve something larger than ourselves, we naturally bring more care and effort. When motivation fades, remembering who else may benefit can gently reawaken our intention.
- Lazy Day and Deep Listening to Yourself
In Plum Village, France, they practice a weekly “Lazy Day,” devoted to being rather than doing. It’s a deliberate break from scheduled tasks to simple rest and nourish oneself, and allow the day to unfold naturally. At first, I felt pulled to socialise, but when I listened inwardly, I knew I needed quiet time alone. I doodled, reflected, and connected deeply with nature. Giving myself that space felt deeply nourishing.
Back in Singapore, I try to intentionally set aside one or two “lazy blocks” each week. In a culture driven by productivity, rest can feel secondary, yet it is so essential. Carving out this time requires me to listen to myself, turn down social meetups, and care for what I truly need.
Plum Village Gems for Relationships and Life
A monastic sister once shared that Plum Village offers many “gems” – we can choose the ones we need depending on our life circumstances.
- True Love- Deep Listening, Deep Looking, Loving Speech
[Sister Brightness Dharma Talk on True Love]
In every relationship, offering deep listening, deep looking, and loving speech to ourselves and others gives rise to understanding, which fosters true love. This insight has been one of my greatest takeaways for approaching conflict. Instead of reacting, I try to listen deeply and understand the values of the person and the suffering beneath their words. This helps me meet disagreements with patience, compassion, and openness, transforming the conflict into a deeper connection.
- Nourishing Ourselves in Our Daily Routine
Everyday activities can be nourishing when done mindfully- for example, eating or brushing your teeth. One sister shared how she gently massages her body each morning and gives herself a warm smile while brushing her teeth. In daily life, simply pausing to connect with your breathing can also be very restorative. These small acts of care remind me that nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
- Embracing Difficult Emotions
Rather than suppressing difficult emotions, the monastic sister invited us to hold the pain tenderly, breathing with it and noticing where it lives in the body. Like a mother holding a crying child, we learned to meet our emotions with compassion instead of judgment, helping me find grounding even during difficult moments.
- Five Mindfulness Training
The Five Mindfulness Trainings are ethical guidelines for living with greater awareness and compassion. I took the Training during the retreat, and these teachings serve as my north star in my daily practice. The training encourages us to practice reverence for life, true happiness through generosity, mindful and loving relationships, deep listening and loving speech, and conscious consumption.
Conclusion:
Plum Village is a living example of how it is possible to build a community rooted in mindfulness, love, and understanding in everyday life. For Singaporeans interested in exploring these practices, Joyful Garden Sangha offers Day of Mindfulness sessions on the last Sunday of each month, as well as weekly Monday and Thursday sessions. Joyful Garden Sangha also offers a Family practice and also LGBTQIA-affirming practice circles as part of its sangha. Feel free to check them out if you’re interested: https://www.joyfulgarden.sg/contact/
Plum Village practices have deeply benefited my life, and I hope that by sharing them, they may also offer support or comfort to someone else during a difficult time. Even small moments of mindfulness can gently transform how we relate to ourselves and others.
Here’s a video to summarise my Plum Village Journey. Enjoy watching:)
Wise Steps
- Mindfulness is a way of living, not just meditation— It can be gently practised in everyday moments — walking, eating, resting, and listening.
- Hold emotions with tenderness, not resistance —Meeting difficult feelings with compassion allows healing and inner stability.
- Understanding transforms connection — Through deep listening and seeing our shared humanity, conflict can soften into compassion and deeper relationships.
