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are there any other tips anyone might have?

Hajurba – Thanks for the suggestion.
Aloka-D – Thanks for your help.

Apart from ‘Cittanupassana’, I would like to explain more on ‘Kayanupassana’. As I suggested to aware body, ‘Kayanupassana’ should also be explained.
Let’s discuss the concept firstly. We do ‘Kayanupassana’ in order to see ‘Samannalakkhana’ (Characteristics Common to All Conditioned Things) in body and will see that the body is ‘Anicca’, ‘Dukkha’, and ‘Annatta’.

Body is ‘Anicca’ (unstable). This would be easy to see.
If we compare our body at 10 years ago and right now, both would not be same. It changed a lot.
If we compare our body at 1 year ago and right now, both would not be same. It changed.
If we compare our body at 1 day ago and right now, both would not be same. It changed.
If we compare our body at 1 minute ago, and right now, both would not be same. It changed.
If we compare our body at 1 second ago, and right now, both would not be same. It changed.
For science, in every sub-second (or even shorter period) our hair and nail are longer; some of our cells in body die and born. The body changed all time. So, the body is unstable.

Body is ‘Dukkha’ (suffering). This would not be difficult to see.
We need to feed our body every day. We need to eat and drink. When we are hungry, we are suffering. If we eat or drink too much, we will feel uncomfortable which is also suffering. Although we eat and drink until we are full, then we will need to eat and drink again.

We would feel comfortable when we sit or lay down. Suppose we can buy an excellent chair or bed with a price of one million or ten million. And we sit or lay down on it and we do not move any part of our body. How long would we stay without moving any part of our body. We would stay without moving for only a short period, then we will feel uncomfortable as our body want to move. (We can try this on any chair or bed.) So, in fact, our body is suffering but we move part of it to cure the suffering.

Let’s look into more closely. We need to breath in and out. If we breath in and do not breath out, we will feel suffering. If we breath out and do not breath in, we will also feel suffering. So, we breath in and out in order to cure suffering. If we do not it, we will feel suffering.
By the explanation above, we would see that the body is suffering.

Body is ‘Annatta’ (not self). This would not be difficult to see as well.
If Body is self, we should be able to control and order it. Could we order it that it must not get old. Hair and nail must not be longer. It must not be hungry or thirsty. It must not be sick. It must be fresh all the times and must not be tried. It must not be sleep. It must not die. The cells must not die. etc. We would see that we cannot order it. It is true that we can move some part of it (but not all). But if we compare to what we cannot order and control in our body, the only part which we could move is minority.

We do ‘Kayanupassana’ in order to see these ‘Samannalakkhana’ in our body.
How to do it? At any time, we move, sit, stand, walk or lay down. Our mind (not we) aware of our body. Our body move, aware that it moves. Any part of our body moves, aware that it moves. Then we will see that our body is not the mind, not us and not self. It is like one thing which is separated from our mind.

Noting that our mind is able to aware of only one thing at a time. When our mind is thinking, angry, happy, unhappy etc, it is not able to aware of body or mind. If our mind is know that the (previous) mind was thinking, at such moment it cannot know the body. Similarly, if our mind is knowing the body, at such moment it cannot know that the previous mind was thinking. But this knowing (‘Sati’), is ‘very very short’, so it is possible that our mind aware of the mind and then the body swiftly.

[Kneeniasy]

Apart from ‘Cittanupassana’, I would like to explain more on ‘Kayanupassana’. As I suggested to aware body, ‘Kayanupassana’ should also be explained.
Let’s discuss the concept firstly. We do ‘Kayanupassana’ in order to see ‘Samannalakkhana’

Hi ngodgnam,

Although there are Pali (and Sanskrit) dictionaries available, I think its worthwhile to remember that this is the Buddhism for Beginners forum and to keep things very simple using English terminlology wherever possible.

Thanks very much.

with kind wishes,

A-D

[Grainiary]

Hi Lonely Traveller! I'm extremely new to all of this and was really confused by it all earlier today. I couldn't make sense of what was being explained. Then I listened to the talk by Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi which is linked in the sticky "What is Buddhism" in this thread... It made sense of it all to me. I was so grateful for that link as he described it all in a way I understood and your thoughts have just made it a little more real to me.
The talk made me understand the theory of it all but you just made me realise a bit of it in practicality. I am very early on my journey and your comments and those in the talk have made me feel that I am on the right path after years of wondering through various spiritualities and religions always feeling that it just wasn't right. But so far I feel that I am on the right path with Buddhism. I look forward to learning more from you all!v Thanks for sharing!

[emily]

I absolutely agreed with you, Aloka-D.
Will try best to improve this next time.

Many thanks for your valuable suggestion.

Ngodngam