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Breathing is an Art of Healing
The Sutra on Mindful Breathing - Exercises One to Eight
Thay continues exploring the sutra with an emphasis on the Chinese translation.Thay teaches that mindful breathing, identifying the in-breath and out-breath, is crucial as it bridges the body and mind, emphasizing their unity. Through a single conscious breath, we can experience the “Oneness of Body and Mind,” crucial for healing and rest. He stresses that healing comes when we allow ourselves to rest, by stopping our mental discourse and fully experiencing our breath. Thay also suggests letting the body lead the mind, exemplified by the act of smiling, to encourage relaxation and healing. Thay underlines the significance of Total Deep Relaxation, uniting mindful breathing with awareness of the body, to restore our innate healing capacities. Generating joy and happiness through our practices is essential for nourishment and completing our spiritual journey. Similarly, calming mental formations and strong emotions is vital. Thay illustrates this with the metaphor of a tree in a storm; while the branches might shake, the trunk—our focused breath—remains stable and grounded.
This is the second talk in a series of fourteen given during The Breath of the Buddha , twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2006. Thay offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet in Plum Village, France.