08.16.2024 3 Small But Powerful Mindfulness Practices from Thich Nhat Hanh   It’s no surprise that we often feel overwhelmed by life’s demands – long to-do lists, worry for the future, concerns for ourselves and our loved ones. Most of the time, there is no answer, no amount of planning we can do to solve these issues. When we feel the deep heaviness of overwhelm in our lives, often all we can do is turn to our attention. As poet Mary Oliver writes, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” By tuning into small moments of mindfulness, we learn to anchor ourselves in the present. The late teacher of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, wrote about how these small moments allow us to check in and find peace in our lives. The simple act of pouring tea or taking a walk turns into meditation when we bring them our full attention. As we focus on the present moment, we can touch real life through our tea or the footfall of each step. This Weekend Reader offers three small practices from Thich Nhat Hanh for cultivating mindfulness and aliveness as we confront daily uncertainties. May they bring you a moment of presence this weekend — no matter how small. —Martine Panzica, Assistant Digital Editor, Lion’s Roar   Taking A Walk   Thich Nhat Hanh shares how to turn the everyday act of walking into a meditation. Usually in our daily life we walk because we want to go somewhere. Walking is only a means to an end, and that is why we do not enjoy every step we take. Walking meditation is different. Walking is only for walking. You enjoy every step you take. So this is a kind of revolution in walking. You allow yourself to enjoy every step you take. The Zen master Ling Chi said that the miracle is not to walk on burning charcoal or in the thin air or on the water; the miracle is just to walk on earth. You breathe in. You become aware of the fact that you are alive. You are still alive and you are walking on this beautiful planet. That is already performing a miracle. The greatest of all miracles is to be alive. We have to awaken ourselves to the truth that we are here, alive. We are here making steps on this beautiful planet. This is already performing a miracle. ADVERTISEMENT Pouring Tea   Thich Nhat Hanh shares how to transform your afternoon cup of tea into a series of mindful actions. There is mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of pouring tea, mindfulness of drinking tea, mindfulness of walking, mindfulness of brushing teeth, and so on. When you breathe mindfully, you focus your attention on only one thing: your in-breath and out-breath. This is concentration on your breath. When you are really concentrated on your breath, insight can come right away. You may get the insight that you are fully alive, and to be truly alive like that is a miracle. Lighting Incense   Thich Nhat Hanh shares how to make even the smallest gestures, like lighting incense, an act of mindfulness. During the time you pick up the stick of incense you are mindful, you are concentrated, you are real, because your body and your mind are together. And the stick of incense is real. When you strike a match, you do the same thing. During the time you strike a match, you only strike a match. You don’t do anything else. You don’t think of other things. You are perfectly mindful of striking a match. You are concentrated on it, and you enjoy the act of lighting the incense. LION’S ROAR PROMOTION