Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Zen Master, spiritual teacher, author, warrior of peace and compassion, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2022. Thich Nhat Hanh is often referred to as " Thầy" which means master or teacher in Vietnamese.
His teachings impacted many around the world. His teachings invite us to practice mindfulness in our simple, everyday activities like eating breakfast or brushing our teeth. To help us see life is in each moment.
In the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh, sharing ways for you to practice mindfulness in your everyday life.
Understanding Mindfulness
Mindfulness is awareness. It is being aware of what is going on inside you (physically and emotionally). It is paying attention to what is going on around you, using all your senses. It is hearing the sounds of the birds, noticing a child’s unlaced shoe. It is observing all these things without judgement.
How to Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an invitation to be present in the current moment. To practice mindfulness, engage all of your senses:
Sight Sound Touch Taste Smell
When you pay attention to each of your senses in any given moment, your focus is on what is happening in that moment. You are not thinking of yesterday or tomorrow or an hour from now. Rather than focusing on our thoughts, the focus is on what is happening. This is present moment awareness. Mindfulness helps us to be present in the moment.
A Mindfulness Practice: Mindful Eating
Choose an activity like eating. Sit down with an item of food. Fruit or chocolate. Follow these steps.
- Find a comfortable place to sit, with the food item on a plate.
- Begin by looking at the food. What does it look like? How would you describe the color, shape, size?
- Pick up the food. Feel it in your fingers.
- Now smell the food. What does it smell like? Rather than say it is good or bad, can you describe the smell with adjectives.
- Next, lick the food. What does it taste like on your tongue?
- When you take a small bite of it, do you hear anything?
During this mindful eating activity, did you notice if you were focused on the activity? Did you notice your mind wander into thought? If it did, that is okay. Part of the practice of mindfulness is simply noticing. Noticing when the mind wanders. Noticing our breath. Noticing our senses.
Mindful Eating is a fun way to practice mindfulness on your own or with kids. When you try it, explore what you notice different when you eat mindfully? Does your food taste different? Is the experience different? Do you feel different?
Practicing Mindfulness: Meditation
Meditation is another great tool for practicing mindfulness. In meditation, we are taking time to focus on our breath. We learn to become aware of our thoughts, rather than being lost in thought.
Research shows that meditation lessens stress, improves sleep, enhances communication and helps us to feel calmer. If you are new to meditation or would like to join others in meditating, all are welcome. Join us for a live, guided Monday Meditation on zoom. Learn more here.
View a past teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh on mindful eating.
Photo Credit: Andreas Kind