Bells of Mindfulness: Wisdom from Peace is Every Step

In his book, Thich Nhat Hanh writes: “In my tradition, we use the temple bells to remind
us to come back to the present moment. Every time we hear the bell, we stop talking,
stop our thinking, and return to ourselves, breathing in and out, and smiling. Whatever
we are doing, we pause for a moment and just enjoy our breathing. Sometimes we also
recite the verse:

Listen, listen.
This wonderful sound brings me
back to my true self.

You can use any sound to remind you to pause, breathe in and out, and enjoy the
present moment. Even non-sounds, such as the rays of the sunlight coming through
the window, are bells of mindfulness that can remind us to return to ourselves,
breathe, smile, and live fully in the present moment.”

~ Peace Is Every Step,
The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life,
by Thich Nhat Hanh.

I love this wisdom. And have also written about bells before.

Here’s one short poem about a little bell shared as It’s All Transcendental
—published last year at Hotel By Masticadores for your pleasure.

But if you’re busy already and don’t want to be led somewhere else to read,
just look up—the waning gibbous harvest moon in the sky still has an illumination
of 91%. Let that be your reminder to pause and return to yourself.

I’ll be looking up too.
Let’s pause and listen.

Thanks so much for reading.
Blessing you.

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Selma Martin

I’m a simple woman who dares to see the beauty in ordinary. I’d love to connect with you and like pen pals, I want something beautiful to blossom between us. Will you join me? Selma is my middle name. Its meaning—peaceful, complete, are euphoric affirmations I like to think of myself as having. They compliment the joy I feel when I write. I sincerely hope you decide to join me on my writing journey. I Wish You Miracles.

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