I was listening again to some of the words of wisdom shared by Thich Nhat Hanh in honor of his recent passing. His Buddhist teachings of mindfulness, kindness, and compassion are powerful practices for us to consider.
He once shared,
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
Today I invite you to embrace these wise words of Thich Naht Hahn with me. Let’s open our eyes to see and celebrate the miracle that exists right in front of us!
Let’s go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. Let go of thinking of the past and being concerned with the future. Just for right now, attend to the present moment. Notice the beauty of the tall trees, the green grass, the blue sky with floating white clouds, the colorful flowers or the snowflakes falling – whatever is in the natural world that’s around you.
Listen to the birds singing, the breeze whistling through the branches, and the squirrel running up the tree. Feel gratitude for all you experience.
Take a moment to feel the warm sun on your face, the cool breeze on your cheek, and the firm earth beneath your feet. Focus your attention on each feeling.
Appreciate the miracle that is happening all around you! Breathe in and breathe out. Appreciate the miracle of breathing!
Let appreciation be your in-breath and gratitude your out-breath. As you breathe, be mindfully present to the beauty of nature all around you.
Let the miracle of nature touch your soul, for you too are nature. Born of humanity but divinely created. Truly a miracle!
Let’s remember to bring this practice into our daily lives and what joy we’ll experience and be able to spread to others in the world too.
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