As we emerge from the season of gift-giving, I have been reflecting on the gifts that were most meaningful for me to give or receive. More than anything shiny or costly, I found myself thinking about the gifts that are free.
With little effort or cost, we can give a gift that will make ourselves and others feel better. According to Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Your mindful breath and your smile will bring happiness to you and to those around you. Even if you spend a lot of money on gifts for everyone in your family, nothing you could buy them can give as much true happiness as your gift of awareness, breathing, and smiling, and these precious gifts cost nothing.”
How can you make a mindful breath and smile regular habits? Since we are often working, hurrying, talking, scrolling, or texting, we are not very mindful. We need some method or system in order to introduce mindful breathing or smiles into our routine. Enjoying natural beauty is one such method.
Learn to Enjoy Natural Beauty
Watch and listen closely for beauty in the world. Look for clouds, a sunset, foliage, flowers, waves, a happy dog, or a cuddly baby. Listen for raindrops on a window or the trees rustling. Enjoy the smell of a rose, vanilla in the kitchen, or a baby’s head. No matter how you sense the beauty of nature, let each experience be your personal reminder to take a few slow breaths and savor the moment. In the beginning, you may need to have a planned walk in nature or dedicate a few minutes in the evening to recall the beauty around you during the day, but with practice, you will become more aware and be able to appreciate the beauty of God’s world that’s all around you in real time.
Multiply Your Happiness
Hanh continues:
““Getting in touch with the beauty of nature makes life much more beautiful, much more real, and the more mindful and concentrated you are, the more deeply the sunset will reveal itself to you. Your happiness is multiplied by ten, by twenty. Look at a leaf or a flower with mindfulness, listen to the song of a bird, and you will get much more deeply in touch with them. After a minute of this practice, our joy will increase; your breathing will become deeper and more gentle, and this gentleness and depth will influence your body.””
The New Year is a good time to get in touch with the beauty of our world so you can create and share the gift of your smile and easy breathing. It might sound trivial, but the results are powerful.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Breathing exercises might help you slow down and facilitate this process. Here is a 5-minute breathing meditation from UCLA Guided Meditations.
2. Find a window and look out. I see a pale blue winter sky, some wispy clouds, and bright snow on the ground.. What do you see? Take 2-3 breaths, smile, and savor the view.
3. Instead of nature, music and art may be your source of beauty and wonder. Pause, enjoy, breathe, and smile. I smile and usually cry a few tears of joy when I hear “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Here is a version performed by The Ten Tenors.
Happy New Year.
Love,
Donna
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Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, her podcast/vlog series, “Engaging with a Messy World” and " “Pop-Up Conversations on Health of Mind, Body, and Spirit,” and programs at her church. She is the author of Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021), a recent best-seller on Amazon, 2022 Illumination Awards Gold Medal Winner, 2022 Reader Views Literary Award Gold Medal Winner, and 2022 Catholic Media Association First Place Awards.
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