08 June 2011

Mindful of the dishes

As the world spins and tumbles faster and faster I find it increasingly important to slow down. A little mindfulness helps me do this.

Meet Mr Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author and peace activist. I've learned a little more about mindfulness from his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness. Here's my favourite excerpt.

"While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes… At first glance, that might seem a little silly: why put so much  stress on a simple thing? But that's precisely the point. The fact that I am standing there and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I'm being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There's no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves."

© Dang Ngo