“No Mud, No Lotus” - Thich Nhat Hanh

In this book, Hanh teaches that only by acknowledging our suffering first, may we then cultivate mindfulness and compassion. He has a simple, conversational writing style which helps distill complex practices. He does ramble a bit in parts (especially toward the end of the book), but I appreciate his clear directives and explanations.

My biggest takeaways:

• Happiness is available to us right now. It is not an aspirational future destination. If we identify the very many conditions for joy that surround us daily, we can create happiness at any time.
• Mindful breathing and walking meditation are tools he teaches to be incorporated into our daily, harried lives. These techniques can bring immediate peace, even in chaotic environments (hello, Covid parenting!).
• Hanh provides actionable steps (and mantra charts!) to begin mindfulness practice. His techniques seem realistic, even for a meditation novice. They are meant to be practiced at any time (even in the stressful moment), and don’t require an elaborate set up. 
• An example of mindful breathing to release tension is to slowly breathe in and out three times, while focusing our thoughts on the mantra “I am aware of my breath (breathe in), I am aware of my breath (breathe out). This simple mindful breath will calm us to some degree, immediately. When we are calm, we can be compassionate.

Hanh is a renowned Zen Buddhist teacher, who burst into the global consciousness as a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War.  A couple of years ago, he was finally permitted to return to Vietnam after decades of exile. He left the thriving Zen Buddhist community he founded in southern France to live out his remaining years in Vietnam. At the time, it was supposed that he had only months to live. According to his Plum Village community, he is alive and well today.