From CHIBS OKEREKE - Transcribed from Insighttimer on Jan 25, 2026
In this short [descriptive] practice [and guide]we'll be noticing when the mind runs ahead of reality.
And then we're going to gently invite ourselves back to what's true right now.
Let's allow the body to arrive before the mind tries to sprint off
into the rest of the day.
Let's allow the body to arrive before the mind tries to sprint off
into the rest of the day.
You can close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
Or simply soften your gaze with the eyes open.
And let's begin by feeling the support beneath you.
The chair. The bed, the floor. Holding you safely.
Or simply soften your gaze with the eyes open.
And let's begin by feeling the support beneath you.
The chair. The bed, the floor. Holding you safely.
See if you can allow the shoulders to drop a little. Maybe unclenching the jaw.
Softening the belly. And now let's take a slow comfortable breath in
through the nose. And a soft, easy breath out, through the nose or the mouth.
Breathing in through the nose. And out through the nose or the mouth.
One last breath in. And a slow breath out. And now allowing the breath
to return to its natural rhythm.
Softening the belly. And now let's take a slow comfortable breath in
through the nose. And a soft, easy breath out, through the nose or the mouth.
Breathing in through the nose. And out through the nose or the mouth.
One last breath in. And a slow breath out. And now allowing the breath
to return to its natural rhythm.
And now I invite you to bring your attention to the simple reality of this moment. Perhaps you can feel the feet on the ground, body breathing.
Maybe you can hear some sounds in the room. Just taking a moment to notice that you're here.
Now, the mind will want to run ahead into what ifs. Worst case scenarios. Conversations that haven't happened yet. problems that haven't arrived. That's just your nervous system, trying to prepare and protect you.
Today we're practicing something different. We're noticing the moment that our thoughts start to sprint into the future. And we're choosing not to feed the frenzy. So as we breathe in, Feeling the breath moving low into the belly. And as we breathe out. Letting the exhale be just a little longer than the inhale. A slightly longer out breath, tells the nervous system. "You're safe."
--> And if a thought pops up about something we said or something we're worried might happen. Just seeing if we can notice it. In the same way that we'd notice a cloud passing across the sky. A thought like to predict. But the body knows what's real. Presence is where clarity lives.
..In reference to walking meditation Thay says "when you take one step, and you stop running into the future, and you oppose the tremendous force of habit energy always pushing you to run to the future....When you make a determination to stop like that you stop for your parents you stop for yourself and you stop for your children even if you don't have any children there already in you"
Stop | Teaching by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
by Thich Nhat Hanh, Miguel SanchezNovember 6, 2024
This short film is part of a series of videos - Wake Up films - inspired by the spiritual teachings of Plum Village.✩ Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh (excerpt from a talk originally recorded on 1998.11.22)
