Yogi: Sayadaw, you have done single object practice to quiet the mind when you’re sitting still and when you’re moving around, you do what you teach us.

Why don’t you combine teaching both?

Sayadaw: First of all, most of you have already practiced some single-point object practice. I don’t need to teach it to you.

I want to teach you the other aspect – learning how to be mindful in a natural way with the right attitude that everything helps you to be mindful. I make a whole retreat about that because it takes time to learn that.

The more important reason that I don’t teach it in a retreat is because when yogis do concentration exercises, they get attached very quickly, and they also develop tension. And, then I have to spend so much time getting the yogis to relax and de-stress from trying too hard.

I don’t have the time in a 10-day retreat to do that much adjustment for yogis; I would rather teach what I consider the more important part of what I have learnt in meditation so that we can bring it out there and use it in the right way for ourselves.

The main message I’m teaching is right attitude – if we view things in the right way, everything is open for mindfulness and nothing is wrong. You can be mindful of and learn from everything.