Mahasati is the form of vipassana or insight meditation taught by Michael at the Center. Mahasati meditation uses the body’s movement to generate self-awareness and self-realization. Mahasati in Pali means “great awareness.” Its objective is to eliminate suffering through clearly seeing and understanding the body and mind in the present moment. It is based on the teaching of the twentieth-century Thai meditation master Luangpor Teean Jittasubho.
Rather than using the breath as the primary object of awareness, Mahasati meditation uses attention to the body’s movement as an anchor to the present moment. When one’s mindfulness is strong enough, attention is turned to observing the direction of the mind in the present moment. The formal seated meditation practice involves a pattern of repetitive hand movements, generally performed with the eyes open. Practitioners in this tradition believe that learning to meditate while the body is moving and the eyes are open makes it easier to carry one’s practice into daily life.