Lessons on finding happiness, through mindfulness, is the core of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings touched on in his 100s of publications. Saddened by his death, I wanted to honor his legacy, bringing the wisdom of mindfulness to the Western world through his simple graceful teachings as a Zen Buddhist master. I was right there, as many rushed to embrace his wisdom and hold it close.
I turned to Sounds True publishing company, to listen to a wonderful Dharma talk that Thich Nhan Hanh gave on “Living Without Stress or Fear” that they’re currently offering for free. (See link below)
While there is nothing better than hearing his own words, spoken with such calm grace, allow me to share a few of the messages from his talk. See if they prompt you to listen more for yourself.
ENJOY MINDFUL WALKING
“Mindful walking makes you available to everything in life and everything in life available to you”, said Thay, as he is called by his practitioners at Plum Village in France. He tells a story about a French TV journalist coming to film him for a program. He introduces his work by inviting the visitor to go with him and other participants on a walking meditation.
In this, he recommends finding the joy in every step by being fully present to notice the flowers, the birds, the sounds, the freshness and beauty of nature. They walked for 45 minutes on a lovely day, everyone enjoying themselves, except the journalist, who said he found it exhausting. He was too busy thinking about his journalist project to be present. Joy is in the moment, letting everything go to connect to life around you. Practice this to know it’s benefits.
BE FREE WITHOUT THOUGHT
A core tenant to mindfulness is to be so fully focused in the present moment that you lose the constant chatter in your mind. There is no longer the anxiety that comes from worrying about what will happen in the future, and no longer the sorrow or regrets from remembering the past. There is a freedom that comes without thought.
This freedom can be yours any time you focus on the present. When you tune into what is around you, it becomes impossible to ruminate or obsess about what will happen next or to fixate on your past. It liberates you to enjoy the beauty around you, to be refreshed and renewed by it.
LOSE YOUR HABITS OF PRESSURE AND BE HAPPY IN THE HERE AND NOW
We often live in energy habits of pressure that keep us always pushing ahead. It makes us unable to be present or happy. This stress creates unhealthy minds and bodies, taking in food and drinks that are unhealthy, working long late hours and not getting enough rest. We are not healthy in our bodies or mind with all this pressure and pushing.
The solution is to be mindful, present focused and to tune inward to understand the distress in your body. Make a decision to engage in a practice that will keep you present, like mindful breathing and meditation. As he recommends, say “Breathing In – I know I am alive. Breathing Out – I smile at life”. Do it often, returning to this basic breathing to restore balance and peace internally, so you can be present in the moment.
Thich Nnat Hanh’s Dharma talk on “Living Without Stress and Fear “gives us a lesson on mindfulness to stay present in the moment so you can find happiness. You can find yours by using techniques like mindful walking, being free without thought and recognizing energy habits that keep you from being happy in the here and now. It sounds simple but takes practice to make a regular part of your life. Try it and listen to Thich Nnat Hahn’s calming, wise voice in the free talk by signing up on the link below.
If you’d like support to explore these practices for staying happy in the present, reach out. They are techniques I use regularly and incorporate in my Transformational Coaching and Therapy. Go to www.spectrumtransformation.com and use my Free Consultation link. I’d be honored to hear from you.
Reference
Sounds True – Thich Nhat Hung Dharma Teaching
