I’ve done a fair bit of soul searching, plenty of reading and working on self improvement. Thich Nhat Hanh is truly a peace guru.
This is a very easy and digestible read and reaching deep to find our own inner Buddha, practising loving kindness.
“Ending violence in yourself, your family, your community and the world.”
You know how they say charity begins at home, it’s the same with kindness – something I’ve had to learn the hard way that kindness begins with being kind to yourself. I’ve spent the last 35 years with a lot of self criticism and cruel self loathing. They say the inner child demons run about 7 generations deep and well, this book helped me to look beyond all that to start with self love and self kindness.
The book also serves as a guided meditation that I found helpful as it complements my Headspace meditation app. Thoughts and feelings are just visitors, they come and go.
“It is easy to tell how happy someone is by observing how compassionate she is toward others. Life is precious. Those who recognise this preciousness and offer peace and protection to other living beings find peace and protection available to themselves.”
“You are more than your emotions. It is important to remember this. During a crisis, remember to go immediately to your mindful breathing. Remind yourself that your painful emotions will pass. Maintain this awareness as you breathe, and keep your attention on your breath until the emotion passes. After you have succeeded in calming yourself a few times with belly breathing, you will have more confidence in yourself and in the practice.”
