With a deep mindful breath

Word just received today 

"With a deep mindful breath we announce to the world the news that yesterday, the 11th of November 2014, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, experienced a severe brain hemorrhage. Thich Nhat Hanh is receiving 24 hour intensive care from specialist doctors, nurses and from his monastic disciples".

And so as a community of meditators .. let us all take a moment to pause and reflect on the great wisdom, compassion and insight that Thay has shared with the world .. with the hope that he will continue to do so.

Sending healing and loving energy .. 

This is one of my favourite videos with the words of Thay guiding.

Take a moment.

My mind calm

my body relaxed
a smile is born on my lips
following the sound of the bell
my breath brings me back
to the safe island of mindfulness ...

Holding anger like a baby

In a recent meditation class the question of anger came up .. and how we might embrace emotions as part of our meditation practice (through mindfulness) .. and as is want to happen, shortly after this wonderful interview arrived at my desk.

Ram Dass interviewing Thich Nhat Hanh at State of the World forum.

The sound of the bell ...

This sweet Meditation video continues to be one of the most inspiring and gentle of reminders to me .. of the magic of meditation .. and I am transported to a quieter and stiller place.

International Day of Peace

My mind calm

my body relaxed
a smile is born on my lips
following the sound of the bell
my breath brings me back
to the safe island of mindfulness ...

MedMob is a global community coming together in meditation, open to people from all walks of life, with the intention of exposing the world to meditation and reaping the benefits of looking within.

The words being read are by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is a beautiful moment to pause and be present .. and reflect on how we might make this world a more peaceful place.

Pebble for Your Pocket Meditation

Mindfulness is an ancient practice that simply requires us to attend non-judgementally to the present moment (rather than bouncing around between past, present and future .. the open spaceland of non attention).

When we rest our focus in the present moment .. everything seems to slow down, we really ‘see’ what is happening in our life, we can be more open in heart and mind. Mindfulness practices teach us how to simply focus on being present .. to the breath, the movement of our body as we walk, the wind in our hair, the sun on our face .. the sounds around us.

In this mindfulness practice Thich Nhat Hahn, the Zen Buddhist monk suggests that we go for a walk and find a pebble that we like, and then sit quietly for a while with the pebble in our hand:

"Dear Buddha,

Here is my pebble. I am going to practice with it when things go wrong during the day. Whenever I am angry or upset, I will take the pebble in my hand and breathe deeply. I will do this until I calm down."

(of course you don't have to include the Buddha or anyone else if you don't wish to .. trust in what feels right for you.)

We place our pebble in our pocket and it travels with us wherever we go. At any time during the day, if we find ourselves stressed, angry or upset, we put our hand in our pocket, take hold of the pebble, and remind ourselves to just breathe .. “Breathing in, I notice that I feel stress. Breathing out, I release all stress and holding and invite in ease and calmness”.

This YouTube meditation from Thich Nhat Hahn includes four pebbles :

#1 : reminds us to be ‘fresh like a flower’ : breathing in ‘fresh’ and breathing out ‘I am a flower’

#2 : reminds us that we can choose to be stable and solid in mind, emotions, thoughts and love : breathing in ‘solid’ and breathing out ‘like a mountain’

#3 : reminds us of the power of still water, that our mind are like a still lake reflecting all our actions, thoughts and anxieties. It is when we are still of mind and body that we are able to see what is really happening within us: breathing in ‘water/stillness’ and breathing out ‘reflecting’

#4 : reminds us of spaciousness, a quality that we can rest within and offer to others : breathing in ‘spaciousness’ within and around us and breathing out ‘I am free’.

I really like the inclusion of touch awareness in meditation .. carrying your pebbles (each carrying an intention .. a reminder) so that you have something solid and ‘at hand’ for your journey.

You can find loads of meditations from Thich Nhat Hahn on YouTube, or search out his many books , or visit his website Plum Village.  [Picture Stack Stones by etcwhatever]