Yesterday, I spent most of the day at the nearby mountainous Zen Buddhist monastery. The sangha – a collection of about 100 nuns, monks and laypersons – offered a free day to a limited number of us (about 50-60) to experience mindfulness – the legacy of Thich Nhat Hanh. While I had read his
work and practiced the techniques, I had not been in a formal program at one of his sites.
A Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, Nhat Hanh was expelled from Vietnam for opposing the war. He founded the Plum Village Tradition, and coined the term “engaged Buddhism”. He is dubbed “the father of
mindfulness”.
Mindfulness – focusing on the present moment without judgment – has been proven to increase physical health and boost the immune system.Conversely, it has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, fatigue, pain and depression.
My half-day at the monastery began with a 1 hour mindful walk to bring our body and mind together. We were instructed to walk slowly, and to feel the ground or path or road under our feet.
Be Aware of your in-breath.
Walk 2 or 3 or more steps, focusing all your mind on the in-breath
(depending on our lung capacity).
Then walk 2 or 3 or more steps, focusing on the out-breath.
Let thoughts float away.
For the walk, I stepped into mid-stream of the flowing group a few paces behind a monk, and matched my pace to his deliberate steps. It was solid, steady and comfortable. The challenge was not getting distracted by other walkers — coming in from the sides or hurrying by or cutting in between me and the monk.
This is mostly a kinesthetic practice. As my primary style is audio, I modified it to be more effective for me. I listened to the wind in the trees and the birds chirping. When that stopped keeping me focused, I added a mental mantra — walking in the words (see the blog on walking in affirmations).
If your primary style is visual, you could modify it by seeing your in-breath one color, and your out-breath another color – and watch them coming in and going out. Or you could hold a positive peaceful mental image. Or you could look at the nature all around, and the blue sky above.
REFLECT:
Do you have a breathing technique / practice that helps you?
If so, what difference does it make in your day?
If not, what Is stopping your from adopting / practicing one?
When we reached a large meadow, we spread out and sat for a personal unguided meditation. This was easy for me, as it was non-directed and I could use my mantra approach.
Then we walked back to the center in the same way, and had a few minutes before going into the meditation hall. After a short recitation, we had an hour dharma (teaching) by a young nun about finding happy moments in the present – from trips to the grocery store to talking with family. As this matched my personal style – audio – I was one of the least fidgety!
This was followed by a lovely vegetarian lunch outdoors and another hour in the meditation hall.
When I got home late afternoon, I felt like I had been away for about three days. That is the power of changing brain states (see the blog on Brain states). Meditation is an alpha activity, and there is no sense of linear time in alpha, or judgment, or stress. It is a “be here now” activity.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift. That’s why its called the “present”.
APPLY:
Try the mindfulness technique below:
.
1. Be Aware (focus all your mind) on your in breath and your out breath:
* breathing in, I know I am breathing in
* breathing out, I know I am breathing out
2. Follow (concentrate on your in breath all the way through and your out breath all the way through:
* breathing in, I follow my in breath all the way through
* breathing in, I follow my out breath all the way through
3. Be Aware of your body
* breathing in, I am aware of my body
