Spirituality

The Miracle of Mindfulness: 6 key ideas

by Thich Nhat Hanh

The core ideas of The Miracle of Mindfulness, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 6

   Wash the dishes to wash the dishes

   If you rush through the dishes thinking of tea, you'll rush through the tea thinking of something else.

   Doing one thing fully is the whole practice.

2. IDEA 2 OF 6

   Come back to the breath

   Whenever your mind scatters, return to one conscious breath.

   It is an anchor you carry everywhere.

3. IDEA 3 OF 6

   Walking as meditation

   Walk slowly and feel each step touch the earth.

   Ordinary walking becomes a way to arrive fully in the present moment.

4. IDEA 4 OF 6

   Interbeing

   A sheet of paper contains the cloud, the rain, the tree and the logger.

   Nothing exists on its own; everything is made of everything else.

5. IDEA 5 OF 6

   Hold your anger gently

   Treat anger like a crying baby: don't fight it or obey it, hold it with mindful attention until it calms.

   Then you can see what caused it.

6. IDEA 6 OF 6

   The miracle is now

   The miracle is not walking on water but walking on the earth, aware and alive.

   Peace is available in the present, not someday.