May 16, 2020

Quote of the Week

"Peace and calm are contagious." --Thich Nhat Hanh

Our Calm Is Contagious: How To Use Mindfulness In A Pandemic

"If you’re feeling extra anxiety these days due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. This situation has us all facing more stress and uncertainty than usual. It also has many of us asking: How do we keep from spiraling into full-blown panic? As we try to navigate our anxiety about the coronavirus, there’s one quote Sigal Samuel has been trying to keep at the forefront of his mind. It’s by the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh “When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive.”

Tara Brach, an American psychologist and a widely respected teacher of Buddhist meditation, sent out this quote in a recent email newsletter. It prompted Samuel to call her up and ask for some guidance about using meditation to navigate this pandemic.  An interview between Brach and Samuel highlights ways that meditation can be used to help us regulate our emotions so that we can better care for others, and is the topic of this week's featured article.

Reading Corner

TItle: A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles
By: Thich Nhat Hanh
Recommended Ages: 6-adult

"Pebble meditation is a groundbreaking and completely unique technique to introduce children to the calming practice of meditation. Developed by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, A Handful of Quiet contains complete instructions for pebble meditation designed to involve children in a hands-on and creative way that touches on their interconnection with nature. Whether practiced alone or with the whole family, pebble meditation can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions." --Publishers

Be the Change

Try the mindful breathing practice described in this link from Greater Good in action and reflect on how it makes you feel. Share the practice with your family.