{"id":3909,"date":"2020-05-06T06:23:17","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T06:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?page_id=3909"},"modified":"2021-09-19T15:47:22","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T15:47:22","slug":"the-miracle-of-mindfulness-thich-nhat-hanh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-thich-nhat-hanh\/","title":{"rendered":"The Miracle of Mindfulness Summary (Thich Nhat Hanh)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Want to improve your health and wellbeing and squeeze as must juice from life as possible?

Mindfulness may be the answer<\/a>.

This classic text, written by revered Buddhist and spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh<\/a>, shows us how to utilise insight-driven practices to give us a new perspective on the nature of reality.

Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present moment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Are you busy fantasising about an imaginary future or reliving an unalterable past?

Many of us have been conditioned in these mindsets, to the extent that we often overlook the present moment and fail to live fully.

Simple Buddhist practices, advocated by the author, bring us back to the present moment, where we can find respite from our wandering mind.

It allows us to appreciate the simple things in life<\/a> – body, mind and immediate environment.

With the underpinning Buddhist philosophy and simple practice exercises, we can learn to enjoy the present moment for what it is, rather than living for the past or future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind your task<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The author, when he was a novice monk, often faced the unenviable task of dishwashing in the cold kitchen with ashes, rice husks and freezing water.

Since the kitchen has been fitted with modern appliances, allowing the monks to do the dishes in half the time and relax with a nice cup of tea.

The author, however, doesn’t regard this progress as an improvement.

He believes that doing the dishes because you want them to be clean is the wrong approach. Instead, he believes that we should engage in the activity for its own sake.

Just wanting the dishes to be clean means that we rush through the activity desperately to reach the end result, never actually enjoying the gifts of the present moment.

We’re already living in the future, giving away our attention to an illusory state, always moving onto the next thing.

This is how many people live their lives, never fully living.

In contrast, The Sutra of Mindfulness, an ancient Buddhist text, teaches us to be conscious of whatever we’re doing in a given moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness = being conscious of the present moment, rather than allowing attention to slip away into the past or future.

Although many of us may try to be mindful, we’re constantly besieged by daily distractions, from family matters to work commitments. Our thoughts then often assail us from all angles.

In such times, we need a focus for restoring conscious attention. The breath can act as a bridge, connecting us again with the present moment and restoring our mind-body connection.

How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n