Self-learning 28//[The miracle of mindfulness]

In our daily life, we often manipulate our emotions because of some trivial matters, which in turn affects many things in the future. We all know the importance of mindfulness, but does it really work?

These few days of work and life have made me very busy and restless. I deeply feel that although I have studied so many books, when I encounter urgent matters and need to accept a lot of information and tasks at the same time, at such a moment I am not I can't apply the skills I've learned, and I always feel very regretful before going to bed, as if I haven't been able to apply it after learning so much, until I heard other book friends share the book "The Miracle of Mindfulness", which made me want to Special understanding and learning.

Perhaps in daily life, you have the same experience as me, that we are always dominated by external things, not our own. What is being dominated by emotions, this reminds me of the last time I studied the book [Blooming Flowers] that people have fears about uncertainty, and this fear can affect our emotions.

Have you ever felt anxious because someone didn't reply to your message in a timely manner, and you waited hard for his reply message? I have an experience of making an appointment with a friend for a meal time, which is to eat the next day. Because we communicated by means of messages, and as time got closer and closer, when he did not reply with the detailed time and place, I felt very anxious at this time, and there would be many situations in my mind to explain that he did not reply. It is precisely because of this uncertainty in imagination that I am affected by my own emotions, especially because it is easy for people to imagine bad places, so I fall into panic. This kind of emotion that puts oneself into panic is very strange, it makes oneself very uncomfortable, obviously nothing happened, but just by virtue of the power of imagination, it affects the concentration. So I decided to start studying this book and try to change my mindset.

Be fully aware of the little things in your daily life. In the present moment, I am completely myself, following my own breath, being aware of my existence, aware of my thoughts and actions. This is mindfulness. In other words, mindfulness means being aware of the reality of the present moment, and every moment of our life becomes an opportunity for us to practice, not just in the moment of meditation.

We must be aware of ourselves and pay attention to the present moment, that is, how we feel in this moment.

And how should mindfulness be practiced?

At work, you can also use it as an opportunity to practice, focus on your work, stay alert and awake, be prepared to deal with any situation that may arise, and adapt accordingly. This is mindfulness.

Specific ways to practice mindfulness

◼︎ Conscious breath:

Take a deep breath, knowing that you are breathing in

Take a deep breath, knowing that you are breathing

When you breathe long, know that you breathe long

When you breathe short, know that you breathe short

When you take a long breath, know that you have a long breath

When the breath is short, know that you have a short breath

◼︎Counting breath method:

Breathe in, count to one, breathe out, count to one; breathe in, count to two, breathe out, count to two, count to ten, and then start from one. Without mindfulness, you'll have a hard time counting, quickly be wrong, and start all over again. When you're right, you can stop counting breaths and just focus on the breath itself.

◼︎ Set yourself a mindfulness day

When you can't be mindful every day and every day, set aside a day out of the week to devote yourself to mindfulness. This day will elevate you and enable you to develop a good habit of practicing mindfulness. When you are mindful on such a day, such a day is a day of real experience, keep practicing mindfulness, your life will be completely different from the past, and you will start to like the feeling of slowing down.

We have to learn to slow down and be aware of our feelings. If we don’t slow down, our emotions will always dominate us, not ourselves.

When we are angry, we ourselves are anger itself; when we are happy, we are happiness itself. We are both our own mind and an observer of the mind. So the important thing is not to drive away or cling to any thought, but to be aware of the thought. A distracted heart is also a heart, just like a wave is still water. Be careful and look after yourself, and a confused heart will become a real heart.

Ways to practice mindfulness

1. When you wake up in the morning, smile gently
2. In leisure time, smile gently
3. Smile gently while listening to music
4. When angry, smile gently
5. Lie flat and relax
6. Sitting and relaxing
7. take a deep breath
8. Measure your breath with your steps
9. count breaths
10. When listening to music, follow your breath
11. When talking, follow your breath
12. When you sit still, follow your breath
13. Use your breath to calm your mind and body to know joy
14. Be mindful of your body posture
15. When making tea, be mindful
16. Do the dishes in mindfulness
17. Do the laundry in mindfulness
18. Focus on cleaning the house
19. Take a shower in slow motion
20. Imagine yourself as a pebble
21. Mindfulness day, be your own master
22. Observe the five aggregates that make up oneself (form, feeling, thinking and action)
23. Look at yourself and the universe
24. look at your own bones
25. Find out who you were before you were born
26. Caring for a loved one who has passed away
27. Realize the five aggregates are empty
28. Compassionately watch over the person you hate the most
29. Observe the suffering of others and develop compassion
30. Work with a spirit of no past
31. Taking care of life's achievements from the perspective of Dependent Origination
32. Not limited to Dependent Origination, nor deviating from it

We must maintain a mindful attitude, all complexities will become simple, not anxious because we cannot achieve our goals, but to experience and feel the process of diligence at the moment, this is the miracle of mindfulness.

Because I looked at the above method and found that "watching" and "caring" have different meanings, I would like to share with you:

• Taking care of each other means caring and caring for each other, and means greeting and exhorting. For the past three years, without Jack's care, I wouldn't be able to do it so quickly.
• Watching is the concept of facing up, showing, reflecting , and being aware, such as watching your own consciousness, watching your heart

📚Learning today: 【The Miracle of Mindfulness】

🙎‍♂️️ Author: Thich Nhat Hanh

⏳ Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese who founded a social service youth school in Vietnam in the 1960s. He promoted "Joining Buddhism" and advocated that young people should participate in social movements with a spirit of compassion. He doesn't support any political party, just fights hatred and ignorance.