joy and happiness arise from letting go...

"... joy and happiness arise from letting go. 
Please sit down and take an inventory of your life. 
There are things you’ve been hanging on to
 that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. 
Find the courage to let them go."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh, in Peace Is Every Breath

....~)..O..(~....

Purple corduroy with medallions zafu

Zafu Meditation Cushion/Floor Pillow/Dorm Pillow in Purple, with Medallions.

 Unfilled cover. 15" x5" with a 6" sidewall zipper closure. Handmade, USA

Practicing mindfulness together...

"We all have a fundamental need to belong, to feel safe, alive, and welcome. We can transform our own family or household into such a place where this is possible. Together we can practice breathing and smiling, sitting together, drinking tea together in mindfulness. If we have a bell, the bell is also part of the community, because the bell helps us practice, calling us back to ourselves to the present moment. If we have a meditation cushion, the cushion is also part of the community.

There are many things that help us practice mindfulness—even the air for breathing. If we live near a park or a riverbank, we can enjoy walking meditation there, and the park or river becomes part of our community. We need to establish a community at home. From time to time we can invite a friend to join us. We need to expand our definition of family to include not only our friends and community, but also the sun, the sky, the trees, the birds, and the hills around us. Practicing mindfulness is much easier when we do it together."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

photo source:  pixabay

 

kiss the earth with your feet

"Wherever we walk, 

whether it's the railway station or the supermarket, 

we are walking on the earth and so we are in a holy sanctuary.

 If we remember to walk like that, 

we can be nourished and find solidity with each step."

 ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This blog post brought to you by ZafuChi, 

an independent maker, and etsy seller, 

of handmade zafu meditation cushions and bolster pillows.

conscious breathing is very affordable healthcare

"Breath is the bridge

  which connects life to consciousness, 

which unites your body to your thoughts. 

Whenever your mind becomes scattered, 

use your breath as the means 

to take hold of your mind again."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

(Breathing...so diy; effective and affordable healthcare.)

~)(~

Cassia Tree in bloom again!

let the sun of awareness shine in you...

sunrise at Siesta Key Beach - Sarasota, Fl.

"To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem.
To meditate means to observe.
Your smile proves it.
It proves that you are being gentle with yourself,
that the sun of awareness is shining in you,
that you have control of your situation.
You are yourself,
and you have acquired some peace."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

posted by the sewist and maker of zafu meditation cushions behind the face of zafuChi

drink your tea slowly...

"Drink your tea slowly
and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which
the earth revolves -
slowly, evenly,
without rushing
toward the future.
Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life."

~Thich Nhat Hanh 
~)(~

Tea Time Train

art print available by TinyRed on etsy 

 

All the elements for your happiness are already here...

"Be yourself. Life is precious as it is.
All the elements for your happiness
are already here.There is no need
to run, strive, search or struggle.
Just Be."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

~)(~

"Just Be" Poster

available for instant download by Aquartis on etsy 

nirvana is available in the here and now...

"Nirvana is available in the here and now. 

It is not a place to go to when we pass away. 

It is available to all of us when we are alive. 

The word “nirvana" was used by peasant farmers

 in India to describe the cooling down of the ashes 

after the fire is out. The Buddha used “nirvana” 

to describe the cooling of the fire of afflictions - 

namely the cooling of anger, fear, anxiety, 

and so on. With mindfulness, concentration 

and insight, each one of us can refresh our spirit, 

cool our afflictions and touch nirvana 

in the very here and now."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

~)(~

NIRVANA Necklace

Japanese calligraphy, Hills with forest trees in tan peach cream, 

Heaven, Spiritual art, Gift for him or her

available by HighwayGlass on etsy 

take refuge in your in-breath...

"I suggest you take refuge in your in-breath,
surrender to your in-breath,
 identify with your in-breath.
Don't take refuge in anything abstract.
Take refuge in something very concrete: your in-breath.
Taking refuge like that,
your fear, anger and restlessness will disappear."
 Thich Nhat Hanh

~)(~

wall art - Zen quote

available by LouiseArtStudio on etsy 

 

a thich in time...

"Breathe in deeply

 to bring your mind 

home to your body."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

  BREATHE

yoga art watercolor print

LindsaySatchell artwork available on etsy 

 

I AM not limited by form...

I AM not limited by this form...

"I asked the leaf whether it was frightened because it was autumn

 and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, 'No. 

During the whole spring and summer I was very alive. 

I worked hard to help nourish the tree, 

and now much of me is in the tree. 

I am not limited by this form. I am also the whole tree, 

so when I go back to the soil, I will continue to nourish the tree. 

So I don't worry at all. 

As I leave this branch and float to the ground,

 I will wave to the tree and tell her, 

I will see you again very soon.’ "
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Botanical Watercolor Print. 

Watercolor Leaf Art Print.

artwork available by SnoogsandWilde on etsy 

light the lamp of Mindfulness...

"Continue making connections with all the good
things around, you will see that the outside world
is brighter and more beautiful than before, because
you have put an end to forgetfulness and have lit
the lamp of mindfulness. You have begun again
to be nourished by what is wonderful in life."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

"A Little Spot on Green St."

available at VibrantBrushStrokes on etsy 

finding our true home...

"Our practice is to find our true home. 

When we breathe, 

we breathe in such a way that we can find our true home. 

When we make a step, 

we make a step in such a way

 that we touch our true home with our feet."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Ocean" Painting Print

for more info see TheColorfulCatStudio on etsy 

happiness seeds...

"You have both seeds of happiness and unhappiness
in you, planted by your parents, your ancestors, or your friends.
When seeds of happiness manifest themselves, you feel quite happy. 

But when seeds of sorrow, anger, and hatred manifest, you feel very unhappy. 

The quality of our life depends on what seeds we water in our consciousness.
When you practice breathing, smiling, and looking at beautiful things around you, 

you are planting seeds of beauty and happiness. 

That is why we practice things like breathing in and seeing ourselves as a flower, 

breathing out and feeling fresh, breathing in and seeing ourselves as a mountain,

 breathing out and feeling solid like a mountain. 

This practice helps us plant seeds of solidity and freshness in ourselves.

 Every time we walk with calm and ease, or we smile and release the tension in us, 

we are planting seeds that will strengthen our happiness.
With each happy step, we plant a happy seed."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

"The Rainbow of Happiness Bird"

 watercolor art available by littlecatdraw on etsy

living in awareness...

"Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances

 of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, 

the true person doesn’t become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate. 

She lives in awareness as an ordinary person, 

whether standing, walking, lying down, or sitting."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

letting go gives us freedom...

"Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is
the only condition for happiness.
If, in our heart, we still cling to anything -
anger, anxiety, or possessions -
we cannot be free."
 

~Thich Nhat Hanh

keeping our heart safe...

Soulful Nature

facebook

"Breathing in, I am aware of my heart.
Breathing out, I smile to my heart.
If we practice this a few times,
we will realize that our heart
has been working hard,
day and night,
for many years to keep us alive.
Our heart pumps thousands of gallons of blood 
every day,
without stopping. 
Even while we sleep, our heart
continues its work to bring us 
peace and well-being.
Our heart is an element of peace and joy, 
but we don't touch or appreciate it. 
We only touch the things that make us suffer, 
and because of that, 
we give our heart a hard time 
by our worries and strong emotions, and
by what we eat and drink. 
Doing so, we undermine 
our own peace and joy. 
When we practice breathing in and
becoming aware of our heart,
breathing out and smiling to our heart, 
we become enlightened. 
We see our heart so clearly. 
When we smile to our heart, 
we are massaging it with our compassion. 
When we know what to eat
and what not to eat, 
what to drink and what not to drink, 
what worries and despair we should avoid,
we will keep our heart safe."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

Breathing Room

"If you have a breathing room, you have a sanctuary, a place where you can return to yourself and restore your sense of peace."~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

“Breathing in I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.”

“Breathing in I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.” ~Thich Nhat Hahn
There is more power in a smile than you may have ever contemplated.

Thich Nhat Hahn has been a Buddhist monk for more than 60 years. He is also a poet and the author of Being Peace, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Living Buddha, Living Christ, and many other books. He gave birth to the movement of “Engaged Buddhism”— peaceful activism for the purpose of social reform. Because of his stance against the Vietnam War, he was exiled from his own country. It also led Martin Luther King Jr. to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

He lives in a monastic community in south-western France called Plum Village , where he teaches, writes, gardens, and works to help refugees world-wide. (No matter what your faith, I encourage you to read more about this amazing man.)
An interview Oprah was conducting (from 2010) with Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn (pronounced tic not han).
================================================================

Oprah: What is happiness?

Nhat Hanh: Happiness is the cessation of suffering. Well-being. For instance, when I practice this exercise of breathing in, I’m aware of my eyes; breathing out, I smile to my eyes and realize that they are still in good condition. There is a paradise of form and colors in the world. And because you have eyes still in good condition, you can get in touch with the paradise. So when I become aware of my eyes, I touch one of the conditions of happiness. And when I touch it, happiness comes.

Oprah: And you could do that with every part of your body.

Nhat Hanh: Yes. Breathing in, I am aware of my heart. Breathing out, I smile to my heart and know that my heart still functions normally. I feel grateful for my heart.

Oprah: So it’s about being aware of and grateful for what we have.

Nhat Hanh: Yes.

Oprah: And not just the material things, but the fact that we have our breath.

Nhat Hanh: Yes. You need the practice of mindfulness to bring your mind back to the body and establish yourself in the moment. If you are fully present, you need only make a step or take a breath in order to enter the kingdom of God. And once you have the kingdom, you don’t need to run after objects of your craving, like power, fame, sensual pleasure, and so on. Peace is possible. Happiness is possible. And this practice is simple enough for everyone to do.

Oprah: Tell me how we do it.

Nhat Hanh: Suppose you are drinking a cup of tea. When you hold your cup, you may like to breathe in, to bring your mind back to your body, and you become fully present. And when you are truly there, something else is also there—life, represented by the cup of tea. In that moment you are real, and the cup of tea is real. You are not lost in the past, in the future, in your projects, in your worries. You are free from all of these afflictions. And in that state of being free, you enjoy your tea. That is the moment of happiness, and of peace. When you brush your teeth, you may have just two minutes, but according to this practice, it is possible to produce freedom and joy during that time, because you are established in the here and now. If you are capable of brushing your teeth in mindfulness, then you will be able to enjoy the time when you take a shower, cook your breakfast, sip your tea.

Oprah: So from this point of view, there are endless conditions of happiness.

Nhat Hanh: Yes. Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.

Oprah: With you, the tea is real.

Nhat Hanh:I am real, and the tea is real. I am in the present. I don’t think of the past. I don’t think of the future. There is a real encounter between me and the tea, and peace, happiness and joy are possible during the time I drink.