#Thich Naht Hanh

[pcttrailsidereader]

Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up and Connect at 1 -3 Miles per Hour

I recently received this book by Jonathan Stalls from a friend of mine who knows (and shares) my passion for walking. Stalls is a evangelist when it comes to walking. It is his contention that walking nourishes our soul with the connection it offers to the natural world. His is a call for us to slow down, look around, and engage. I must say that this is a lesson embraced by virtually all PCT hikers and one that, if they do not know it when beginning their time on the PCT, soon learn it.

Stalls refined his thinking while on a 242-day walk across the United States some years ago. His experience was often on roads and his insights include critiques of our car-centric country. It reminds me just how unique the PCT is with 2,650 miles of trail with a minimum of interface with roads and automobiles.

Stalls includes a number of reflective exercises to be done while walking. His suggestions draw from mindfulness and meditation . . . part Thich Nhat Hanh and part Mary Oliver. "Protect some time next to a flowing water source near you," he advises. "Allow the water to calm your mind, inspire your heart, and nourish your journey." He has similar recommendations about listening . . . listening to your own footfalls while walking, to animal sounds, to the sounds of the wind, to your own breath.

I believe that this philosophy is one that every person who spends time on the PCT should fully consider. While I admire the determination and physical achievement of those who aspire to break PCT speed records or do the 30 mile days, it has been my experience that there is so much more to the PCT journey that can only be fully appreciated when one slows down.

I will share more of Stalls' thinking as I digest his book.

RH

[a-queer-seminarian]

Thich Nhat Hanh on self-immolation

“Before the Vietnamese monk Thich Quang Duc burned himself alive in 1963, he meditated for several weeks and then wrote very loving letters to his government, his church, and his fellow monks and nuns explaining why he had reached that decision. When you are motivated by love and the willingness to help others attain understanding, even self-immolation can be a compassionate act. When Jesus allowed himself to be crucified, He was acting in the same way, motivated by the desire to wake people up, to restore understanding and compassion, and to save people. … When you read Thich Quang Duc’s letters, you know very clearly that he was not motivated by the wish to oppose or destroy but by the desire to communicate. When you are caught in a war in which the great powers have huge weapons and complete control of the mass media, you have to do something extraordinary to make yourself heard. Without access to radio, television, or the press, you have to create new ways to help the world understand the situation you are in. Self-immolation can be such a means. If you do it out of love, you act very much like Jesus did on the cross…”

- Vietnamese monk and Zen master Thich Naht Hanh (1926-2022) in Living Buddha, Living Christ (1995)

[mahayanapilgrim]

HUGGING MEDITATION: THE GOOD FIGHT

- Ven Thich Naht Hahn

Hugging meditation is something to practice with people you love and trust, particularly if you have been upset with each other. To begin, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize yourself and your beloved three hundred years from now. Then, open your arms and hug your loved one. If we can see the impermanent nature of our self and our loved one, we can realize how precious every moment is that we have together. We won't want to waste our time together by being angry and hurting each other.

When you hug someone, first practice breathing in and breathing out to bring to life your insight of impermanence. "Breathing in, I know that life is precious in this moment. Breathing out, I cherish this moment of life." You smile at the person in front of you, expressing your desire to hold him or her in your arms. This is a practice and a ritual. When you bring your body and mind together to produce your total presence, full of life, it is a ritual. You hold the other person in your arms gently, and breathe in and out three times, cherishing the other person's presence. Then you separate and smile to each other again - a smile of gratitude and love. ~

~Thich Nhat Hanh, in "How to Fight"

[mountain-sage]

HUGGING MEDITATION: THE GOOD FIGHT

- Thich Naht Hahn

Hugging meditation is something to practice with people you love and trust, particularly if you have been upset with each other. To begin, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize yourself and your beloved three hundred years from now. Then, open your arms and hug your loved one. If we can see the impermanent nature of our self and our loved one, we can realize how precious every moment is that we have together.

We won't want to waste our time together by being angry and hurting each other.

When you hug someone, first practice breathing in and breathing out to bring to life your insight of impermanence. "Breathing in, I know that life is precious in this moment. Breathing out, I cherish this moment of life." You smile at the person in front of you, expressing your desire to hold him or her in your arms.

This is a practice and a ritual. When you bring your body and mind together to produce your total presence, full of life, it is a ritual. You hold the other person in your arms gently, and breathe in and out three times, cherishing the other person's presence.

Then you separate and smile to each other again - a smile of gratitude and love.~

~Thich Nhat Hanh, in "How to Fight"

[scentedchildnacho]

Somebody kept going at me all day night and into the morning with white lights that feel like a lash across ones eyeball...so my time online has to be moderated to thich naht hanh and my habits still deteriorated to cursing at nothing...

[radical-revolution]

Not Birth and Not Death

The cloud has not become something starting from nothing. Before manifesting in its present form, it already existed in the form of water in rivers and oceans.

Thanks to the warmth of the sun, it turned into water vapor, then those tiny drops reunited to form a cloud. She didn't go from " non-existence " to " existence.”

This is what non-birth means.

Later the cloud may no longer manifest itself as such and take other forms, such as rain, snow, hail, fog or a small stream.

The cloud has not gone from existence to non-existence. His nature not only is not born, but it doesn't die either.

The true nature of the cloud and everything that exists, including you and me, is not born and does not die.

Once you have internalized " non-birth " and " non-death ", you will feel incredibly free. This is the most precious fruit of meditation.

~ Thich Naht Hanh

[hihihihix]

I’m so sick of dramatics. I guess I can try to stare at nothing like Thich Naht Hanh would like, I do not understand how this man is not bored. One day.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky // Alanis Morissette

[psychreviews2]

How to Walk

How to Walk

Throughout the day it is hard to include mindfulness for meditation practitioners. The mind can swirl around goals and obstacles for most of the day. The trick for many meditators is to include as much mindfulness as possible in areas of the day that are taken for granted. One area for Thich Nhat Hanh that is taken for granted is How to Walk meditatively.

“I have arrived.”

This is how Thich Nhat Hanh feels walking should be performed, "arriving". The title of his book is How to Walk which is exactly how he is trying to teach the reader. Walking with presence as opposed to walking unconsciously.

In my experience, walking or running experiencing footfalls creates the same concentration states as following your breath.

To make walking like that of Thich Naht Hanh, it requires the following adjustments:

Walking with awareness of your feet touching the ground or awareness of your breath.

Your choice of walking or breathing has to be natural and not forced.

The attitude while walking is one of reverence for the planet and feeling the wonder of existence.

You can think when you need to think, but if the thinking loses its purpose, go back to your walking.

Let go of thinking that is about rushing to an end point. That kind of thinking ruins the continuity and momentum of your practice.

Other tips in this book include useful mantras to keep the thinking mind present and special instructions for walking up long flights of steps.

Gratitude on tap

What I learned from this book is a form of gratitude. Most meditators at some point notice a sense of wonder when there’s enough consistency and momentum in their meditation session. With your eyes open the world can look miraculous. Fresh perceptions make objects feel like they are newly discovered. For example, the way light reflects off of a building. The movement of clouds. Even garbage can look miraculous when the meditation is good!

What is happiness? Peace.

The other overriding message of the book is Thich Naht Hanh’s message of peace. Peace is something that is cultivated. Our brains are actually addicted to conflict. It needs to be relaxed in order to experience any kind of peace. And because people are mimetic, meaning that they naturally imitate, your peace will radiate peace into others making this skill into a gift.

Resources:

How to Walk - Thich Nhat Hanh: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781937006921/

[ani-tsultrim-wangmo]

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

~ Thich Naht Hanh

人們很難放下他們的痛苦。出於對未知的恐懼，他們更喜歡熟悉的痛苦。

~ 一行禪師

[cchiroque]

_*Claves de la Paz y la Felicidad*_

Un gesto tan sencillo como el silencio,

deviene en una poderosa herramienta

de conocimiento y armonía.

Como una radio que nunca se apaga

nuestro pensamiento siempre está ahí

reviviendo acontecimientos del pasado

o proyectando ansiedad

y temor hacia el futuro.

Pero la mente se puede acallar.

y cuando lo hace,

empezamos a escuchar

nuestra propia voz interior.

La meditación nos enseña a cultivar

la quietud, en el devenir del día a día.

Porque solo en el silencio,

descubrimos *quiénes somos*

Y *cuál es nuestro propósito en la vida:*

que son las dos _Claves de_

_la Paz y la Felicidad_

THICH NAHT HANH

[ophelia-died-a-virgin]

#this is so good#we dont need to wait until tjeres no more suffering in us#bc there is no end#Barry Magid -the zen buddhist teacher and psychoanalyst- said that 'suffering' in Buddhism can be misleading#when Buddhists say 'Life is Suffering' it sounds awful to westerners#but a better translation mightve been 'Life is Feeling'#we are all guaranteed to feel very good and very bad throughout our lives and there is no cure for that#but why would we want to be cured of Feeling#with thay understanding this phrase is even stronger as 'Dont wait until you have no more Feeling before allowing yourself to be happy.'#Thich Naht Hanh said 'Happiness is learning how to Suffer well'#'Happiness is learning how to Feel well'#as in mindfully- resiliently- and with appreciation#A lotus cant grow without mud. The lotus of our minds cant grow without the mud of Feeling.

tags by @firebird-nonnette

“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.”

— Thích Nhất Hạnh

[onesecondbeforesunset]

“When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you are drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole world revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

[mahayanapilgrim]

HUGGING MEDITATION: THE GOOD FIGHT

- Ven Thich Naht Hahn

Hugging meditation is something to practice with people you love and trust, particularly if you have been upset with each other. To begin, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize yourself and your beloved three hundred years from now. Then, open your arms and hug your loved one. If we can see the impermanent nature of our self and our loved one, we can realize how precious every moment is that we have together. We won't want to waste our time together by being angry and hurting each other.

When you hug someone, first practice breathing in and breathing out to bring to life your insight of impermanence. "Breathing in, I know that life is precious in this moment. Breathing out, I cherish this moment of life." You smile at the person in front of you, expressing your desire to hold him or her in your arms. This is a practice and a ritual. When you bring your body and mind together to produce your total presence, full of life, it is a ritual. You hold the other person in your arms gently, and breathe in and out three times, cherishing the other person's presence. Then you separate and smile to each other again - a smile of gratitude and love.~

~ Thich Nhat Hanh, in "How to Fight"

[zenwords]

Compassion And The Suffering Of Others

Suppose someone says something that angers you. Your old pathway wants to say something to punish him. But that makes us victims of our habit energy. Instead, you can breathe in and say, “Unhappiness is in me, suffering is in me, anger is in me, irritation is in me.” 

That is already helpful, recognizing your feelings and helping you not to respond right away. So you accept that anger and irritation in you, and smile to it. 

With mindfulness, you look at the other person and become aware of the suffering in him or in her. He may have spoken like that to try to get relief from his suffering. He may think that speaking out like that will help him suffer less, but in fact he will suffer more.

With just one or two seconds of looking and seeing the suffering in him, compassion is born. When compassion is born, you don’t suffer any more, and you may find something to say that will help him. 

With the practice, we can always open new neural pathways like that. When they become a habit, we call it the habit of happiness. 

— Thich Nhat Hanh

[ofmossandmist]

Qualifications to advise:

i'm a chronic pain baddie

my husband's a mindfulness meditation coach and a Buddhist so i hear about this stuff all day everyday

i have a dedicated mindfulness practice that I built for me that flexs with my needs and abilities

i have a special interest in vagus nerve healing

Conquering Your Pain Through Mindfulness (in however long it takes because healing isn't fucking linear!!!!)

I have to admit clarify that I am human and fall away from these routines sometimes and this tends to lead to flare-ups of my symptoms. I'm not advertising a cure. I am saying that this routine helped ME build to a place where I'm no longer experiencing debilitating symptoms. I now have a plan in place when flare-ups occur to help me regulate in the moment. These are tips and tricks that I've gathered all by my lonesome and/or with the help of The Husband, hereout referred to as "Mist" - as always, do your own research.

Mist’s thoughts:

When we practice mindfulness a lot of what we are trying to do when it comes to sensations, feelings, thoughts, and the like is that we are actively re-understanding them. We drop our judgments, preconceptions, and labeling and we are trying to experience it as if for the first time.

People experiencing chronic pain or illness struggle with letting go of our attachments to our illness - we begin to believe it to be who we are. We create an identity and so we create an attachment (or aversion) to it. Then when we experience that pain, we immediately label it “bad” and try to avoid the sensation in its entirety. We pull our attention away from the feeling to try to get distance from pain which ends up having the opposite effect, often increasing the pain and suffering.

A large part of the suffering is mental suffering. Though that doesn’t negate the experience of pain. Pain does exist but the question then becomes: do we need or even want to add extra suffering because we are in pain? When we approach pain with mindfulness we are looking deeply at and then working towards removing any judgments or mental resistance around it.

We settle or lean fully into the pain by giving it our full attention and being curious about it. Is there an invested sense of self in it? Is the pain more or less dependent on other causes or effects? Does it come and go? Try to relax more and more into the pain, remember to breathe and anchor yourself in your breath. Surrendering more fully into it. Go to its center, what is pain?

Mist's Book Recommedations:

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle

Art of Living by Thich Naht Hanh

Living the Bhagavad Gita by Ram Dass

Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza (this is his #1 recommendation for you)

I hope that’s helpful! I think he put it pretty eloquently but in case you need some science to back up the mindfulness… here you go:

Autonomic Nervous System 101

As the name might suggest, the autonomic nervous system handles all the functions of your body that happen automatically. Basically everything happening on The Insides of you that you don't have to remember to do (sweating, digestion and metabolism, vision, bloodflow n heart stuff, breathing, stimulation of your Bits or Bobs and anything coming out of ya bootyhole, anything glandular, etc).

All this responsibility gets shared between the two parts of the whole Autonomic Nervous System that I will be referring to as "the twins", they work together to manage everything. The Sympathetic system and Parasympathetic system.

Sympathetic is going to be the one stimulating your stress response. She's going to prep your body to respond during stressful situations by increasing heartrate and oxygen intake, releasing stored energy in the body which is why we tend to be stronger than we first thought during stressful events. She also slows non-emergency functions like feeling hungry (idk if you ever experience not feeling hunger even though you know your body needs fuel, but you can blame Sympie).

Sympathetic: Fight, Flight, Freeze - self-healing OFF

But Parasympathetic is in charge of rebalancing everything (this is why we wanna tune into her). Para will be in charge of deescalating and returning to base levels of functioning, reactivating the digestive and sexual responses, aaaaaaaand alchemizing stored energy in the body to restore and rebuild tissue, etc. #dreamgirl

Parasympathetic: Rest and Digest - self-healing ON

Now the twins can affect the same things differently, but not necessarily always, so don't look at them as opposites. You'll want to work with both parts, like using chopsticks - they gotta be together. There will be a cyclical nature to the balance between the two, but ultimately the nervous system is constantly shifting between and searching for safety or survival.

The Vagus Nerve is a part of Parasympathetic, so when you are in the Parasympathetic system, you are already stimulating your Vagus Nerve.

So there's the science, now lemme tell you about what I do daily and also what I do when I'm experiencing a flare-up.

Moss' Daily Routine:

-dude i hate it so much but take a cold shower. (There are some mornings I just can't do it or maybe you're a night-shower kind of person. My advice is wash your face with coldcoldcold water and rinse your hands, wrists, and feet as well. I do this for about sixty seconds each part to really feel the chill)

-hum/sing to myself. The vagus nerve runs through your throat so humming will stimulate it! I get to work from home so I’m humming or singing to myself all day long. If this is not achievable for you I’d suggest singing in the car or during your morning routines, during down-times or in-between times, etc.

-gratitude journaling. I'm so serious. Shift your thinking into gratitude and away from being a victim to your illness and pain. This was so hard for me to get over. I wanted to be seen and acknowledged when I was in pain. However that mindset only perpetuated the pain. Once I was able to become thankful for things I already had (a solid support system, a fresh joint, Mist who was able to fill my water glass before bed - try and start small if you need to) I could better see new things coming into my life and could prepare for them with purpose. I think this is so super important because it's also a great way to show love to yourself. Be grateful for your body for getting you through tough moments. Thank it for sending you warning signs, for communicating to you and trusting you with it's worries. Cultivate a deeper relationship by listening to your body, not just your pain.

-limit screen time. Maybe this is me being craaazy but I think about how the vagus nerve runs through the throat - and when we look at our phones, it's usually downwards. And if you're hypermobile like me, that means that you're likely curled up with your chin tucked to your chest. My theory is that this throws a literal kink into the vagus nerve, like folding a hose to pause the flow of water. Try limiting phone time and maybe working on posture too (that really made some difference for me).

I'll be honest, this is usually all I can routinely manage. I also try to carve out a full day once a week to focus on rebalancing and resting and taking care of my needs only (this will be a slow-start process (remember: baby steps!) then build your way to adding more to your day. I started with just an everything-shower when I was first allowing myself to think differently. Then I was capable of doing and everything-shower and journaling once a week. Now, I can usually take care of an entire to do list including difficult chores. (Baby steps count!!!)). Other tools like breathing techniques, massage, and exercise can help too (still working on the last one myself, but I'm taking baby steps).

Last thing - I was in (and still sometimes fall back into) "freeze" mode but for a while was able to pretend like I was still functioning normally. It felt like I was stuck in Sympathetic system even though I wasn't necessarily understanding that I was feeling out of balance. Then I'd be angry at myself, berating myself for not being more productive, not doing enough, etc. I work through this pattern a lot when I approach repressed thoughts and emotions, especially when it brings up old pains that I've forgotten. (And then the shame kicks in and really spices things up.)

I think this anger is our body's way of acknowledging our pain. Anger, in my experience, is a cover-up emotion. When you follow the anger down to it's root, I find it's never anger but maybe sadness, hurt, fear, shame, etc. Anger simply acts as a guard for the root of the emotion. If you experience this as aggressively as I did, please give yourself grace. You are learning and this is NOT easy. You deserve to let go of pain, fears, and attachments and I absolutely am here to chat if you ever need.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me dump all this here! Good luck, good vibes, and good thoughts to you <3

-Moss

Can anyone recommend a good book about practicing mindfulness while living with chronic illness and chronic pain?

Every time I search online for this kind of thing I just get a bunch of "Conquer Your Pain in 30 days Through Mindfulness!!!!" nonsense written by rich doctors.

I just really want to learn more about the "my body hates me" to "make friends with my vagus nerve" pipeline and how to wield it better. But I want to learn from some who Gets It.

[peachmelbaesunpostre]

«If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.»

Thich Naht Hanh