He taught many how to apply Buddhism to everyday life – his first book the Miracle of Mindfulness published in 1974 was written to help the young monks and lay people who were tasked to help to improve the quality of life of people in the country during turbulent and violent times. Later he wrote Peace in Every Step and then Peace in Every Breath – both short books designed to help bring mindfulness and thus happiness into your day even if you have a busy schedule and are time poor.
Peace in Every Breath starts with a ‘Gatha’ a short poem that can be recited during daily activities to help return us to the present moment and dwell in mindfulness.
Waking up this morning I smile
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully each moment
And to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
Mindfulness brings us back in touch with our own body, our feelings and what we are thinking – all of which influences our actions and how we interact with others. Practising mindfulness regularly, even for 10-12 minutes a day, raises your awareness of what is happening in the present moment and creates space for you to choose how you wish to act or react in different circumstances. The above Gatha is wonderful in so many ways for example:
Smiling
The simple of act of smiling makes you feel happy! We smile when we are happy and therefore the act of smiling sends signals to the brain and tricking it into thinking we are happy. Smiling also triggers hormones and chemicals in our body that enhance our mood, reduces stress and pain and has been shown to reduce blood pressure and extend life expectancy.
Smiling is infectious and attractive making you more likeable and approachable thus improving relationships – another wonderful quote from Thick Nhat Hanh ‘Because of your smile you make life more beautiful’
Gratitude & Compassion
The poem also includes the practice of gratitude and compassion – to be thankful for the day ahead so much so that you want to cherish it and be compassionate. The advantages of a daily gratitude practice have been scientifically proven to improve your overall wellbeing, increase your resilience, reduce stress and improve relationships. Compassion – which is having empathy for someone (for example someone’s suffering) and a wish to help them – has been found also to have profound benefits particularly if compassion is followed through with an action. Research has shown that benefits of practising compassion in meditation come more readily than other forms of meditation, it is thought that the brain takes advantage of an inbuilt biological preparedness for compassion.
Setting an Intention
Finally, the poem also includes an intention for the day a vow to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. An intention is a framework or purpose for the day to guide or remind you on what is important. Without intentions you can drift and live on autopilot – an intention helps you choose your mood, what you want to achieve and helps you make the most out of life because in the words of Thich Nhat Hanh ‘every moment is a gift of life’.
When you are in a low mood or feeling stressed and cannot shift try sitting quietly close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths and then smile broadly saying to yourself – ‘I am smiling and therefore I am happy’. Be patient with yourself and keep smiling!
If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness, I offer an 8 week course for mindful living and stress reduction as well as individual or group mindfulness sessions please contact me [email protected].
