Living Mindfully (as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh)

[mum21andtwins]

I'm wondering if there are more mum/dads here that aim to live mindfully? I came across teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh a few months ago and have been making an effort to live more mindfully.
More about TNH
I realise there is allready a buddhist thread but I've chatted to many non buddhist followers and thought it would be nice to be able to chat about how we incorperate mindfulness into our hectic and busy lives and how the practise of being mindful influences our life.

Anyone interested?

[EarthMommy80]

I'm interested! :::jumps up and down, raising hand::: lol

I like to believe that I live as mindfully as possible, but in all honesty it is VERY hard!

Ok, being mindful to me has stemmed from my Buddhist beliefs and my journy to live a Buddhist life. So, it may be a little different for me, but the concept of most Buddhist beliefs can be incorporated into most peoples lives without them being labled as a Buddhist.

The actions that I take to live mindfully are to meditate regularly. Be aware of the words that I speak and the actions that I make. To eliminate as much as possible the "background noise" of life; meaning to try and not let things upset/irritate/stress me like work and family and strangers etc. When I am doing a task, I do not become absorbed in it, and I do not let outside thoughts enter my head, I just BE! My goal at this point in being mindful is to stop overthinking everything and just be. And I will stop there because I would like to hear what others have to say.

[mum21andtwins]

Originally Posted by EarthMommy80

I'm interested! :::jumps up and down, raising hand::: lol

Yay! I'm not alone lol
for me to my path to buddhism has let to my path of mindfulness.

I just read the miracle of mindfulness and will be reading it again soon It was very interesting

[EarthMommy80]

I am currently reading "healing anger" by HH Dalai Lama, but I'm going to check out that book you are reading!

Here is a good link to Thich Nhat Hanh's 14 mindfullness training introductions
http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/14trainings.htm

[EarthMommy80]

Just a friendly lil bump!

[MyLittleWonders]

:

[NicaG]

It's nice to find this thread! I actually just dug out my old copy of Peace Is Every Step lasrt week and have been trying to read it mindfully as part of my observance of Lent. We're big on multitasking at our house, and I'm starting to realize that it's not a great way to live. I divide my attention between a million things, and I don't focus properly on any of them. I feel like I need to stop and take a breath and just be with my children, really listen to them and smile with them and play with them, without thinking of everything else that needs to be done around the house, or what's for dinner, or whatever. It's very hard for me!

I happened to flip open to a page in Peace Is Every Step about the Eucharist. I'm Episcopalian in practice, and as I mentioned, I'm trying to reread this book for Lent, so it was interesting to read the Buddhist take on the Christian practice. Anyway, Thich Nhat Hanh writes that when Jesus broke bread with his disciples, he knew that if they could eat one piece of bread in mindfulness, they would wake up from their routines, their forgetfulness, and have real life. So even today the sacrament of the Eucharist can be an invitation to mindfulness. I've been feeling a bit lost and burned out spiritually, so it was very nourishing to take a fresh look at my own practice from a different perspective.

[broodymama]

: I'm interested in learning more.

[Sisyphus]

"When you are washing the dishes. Wash the dishes."

My favorite TNH quote

Kind of just says it all right there, doesn't it?

[Theoretica]

subbing

[ananas]

Also subbing

[DBPennock]

Mindfulness is elaborated on in a very intersting way in "Everyday Blessings" by Myla & Jon Kabat-Zinn. I'd recommend it to all.

[holyhelianthus]

Great thread!

Originally Posted by NicaG

I happened to flip open to a page in Peace Is Every Step about the Eucharist. I'm Episcopalian in practice, and as I mentioned, I'm trying to reread this book for Lent, so it was interesting to read the Buddhist take on the Christian practice. Anyway, Thich Nhat Hanh writes that when Jesus broke bread with his disciples, he knew that if they could eat one piece of bread in mindfulness, they would wake up from their routines, their forgetfulness, and have real life. So even today the sacrament of the Eucharist can be an invitation to mindfulness. I've been feeling a bit lost and burned out spiritually, so it was very nourishing to take a fresh look at my own practice from a different perspective.

How so very true

[Theoretica]

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/2000...editation.aspx

This is one that really makes me think. I realize how much time I spend rushing through life's experiences. Eating, cleaning, everything I do is in order to do something NEXT...something ELSE....something AFTER.

So my struggle is to be in the now, whatever and wherever that is.

DH and I signed up for a meditation workshop this month at the local Buddhist temple. I'm really interested in where that leads our frame of mind, ykwim?

[mum21andtwins]

Originally Posted by Sisyphus

"When you are washing the dishes. Wash the dishes."

My favorite TNH quote

Kind of just says it all right there, doesn't it?

so true yet when do we take the time to just do the dishes...

Originally Posted by DBPennock

Mindfulness is elaborated on in a very intersting way in "Everyday Blessings" by Myla & Jon Kabat-Zinn. I'd recommend it to all.

I'm going to have a look on amazon for that book thanks for the recomendation

Originally Posted by Theoretica

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/2000...editation.aspx

This is one that really makes me think. I realize how much time I spend rushing through life's experiences. Eating, cleaning, everything I do is in order to do something NEXT...something ELSE....something AFTER.

So my struggle is to be in the now, whatever and wherever that is.

DH and I signed up for a meditation workshop this month at the local Buddhist temple. I'm really interested in where that leads our frame of mind, ykwim?

I enjoyed that thanks I looked uo the authors website he has some downloadable dharmatalks.
Its so true though always chasing after the next thing.


I've installed a mindfulnesbell on my laptop. I have my laptop on in the kitchen most of the time because its my phone (use skype to call my family abroad) and the main way for me and dh to chat during the day. So every 15 minutes the bell gets invited and my 4y/o now stops and takes 3 breaths. It has really helped in difusing some tantrums here between him and 18m/o twins.
I'm hoping to replace it with a nice mantle clock with a chime. My grandparents have a big grandfather clock and i always loved the sound.

I really enjoyed reading the miracle of mindfulness and will have to read it again soon there was a lot to take in. I have tnh's ANGER lined up to read too

[NicaG]

Re: bells of mindfulness....I was reading an article recently that compared life with small children to life in a monastary. It was talking about the significance of the bell in monastic life--always calling you away from what you were doing and asking you to focus your attention on being mindful at that moment. Similarly, small children constantly call you away from what you were doing and force you to focus on something besides yourself. So what seems like a distraction can ultimately be a spiritual path, a spiritual discipline.

I am trying to see the constant interruptions of my kids as an invitation to mindfulness. It is a challenge! Maybe I can try to hear each call of "Mom!" as a kind of bell calling me to experience the moment. We'll see how it goes!

[cmoma]

Just "listening" in here.

[holyhelianthus]

I have an inquiry and I'm not so sure it's appropriate to ask here but I thought it might be. If not please tell me and I'll make an s/o or something (and sorry in advance )...

How do you remain mindful and present HERE and not OUT THERE? DH and I focus a lot on the happenings in the world so we feel like we are out there with everyone else being stretched from issue to issue. If we could focus as much HERE it'd be powerful. We just can't seem to pull it in I guess.

[Danidama]

Haven't read the thread yet, but thank you for posting. I find it hardest to be mindful on the computer, when I've got a 3 year old girl running around being kookoo crazy, heh. But I have many of Thich Nhat Hanh's books and love them. I try to live mindfully every moment of each day. I focus on exactly what I am doing without thinking about what just happened or what I will do next. I make time to meditate each day, just focusing on each breath.

My favorite quote is this, and I have it up on our living room wall:

“Whatever the tasks, do them slowly
with ease,
in mindfulness,
so not do any tasks with the goal
of getting them over with.
Resolve to each job in a relaxed way,
with all your attention.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master

[MissSJ]

Originally Posted by magstphil

I have an inquiry and I'm not so sure it's appropriate to ask here but I thought it might be. If not please tell me and I'll make an s/o or something (and sorry in advance )...

How do you remain mindful and present HERE and not OUT THERE? DH and I focus a lot on the happenings in the world so we feel like we are out there with everyone else being stretched from issue to issue. If we could focus as much HERE it'd be powerful. We just can't seem to pull it in I guess.

I am no expert and am not quite sure what you mean by focusing on the "happenings in the world" but this is how I understand it - if you are reading/talking about/thinking about/do something about current events just do that and do it fully. Don't wash the dishes and do it at the same time, just wash the dishes!

I have heard similar questions about planning for the future, how do you do it while being mindful and staying in the present? You set aside time to do your planning and give it your all, you don't plan while you are doing other things.

Now, as an aside, if you mean you are worrying about things going on - war, the economy, etc. that is a whole 'nother thing. I guess if your mind is wandering to worry of current events, when you notice it, come back to your breath maybe with some type of inner statement that recognizes your worry.

I hope that made sense, I am pretty new at this.

SJ