As soon as we pay attention to our breath, as we breathe in, these three things—body, breath, and mind—come together. (Location 128)
When you make a soup, you have to add together all the right ingredients in harmony and let them simmer. Our breath is the broth that brings the different elements together. We bathe spirit and mind in our breath and they become integrated so they are one thing. We are whole. (Location 132)
We don’t need to control our body, mind, and breath. We can just be there for them. We allow them to be themselves. This is nonviolence. (Location 134)
Instead of describing sitting meditation as the practice of concentration, looking deeply, and getting insight, I like to describe sitting as enjoying doing nothing. Primarily, sitting is to enjoy the pleasure of sitting, being fully alive and in touch (Location 148)
with the wonders of our working bodies, the cool air, the sounds of people and birds, and the changing colors of the sky. (Location 150)
“Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of dhyana, which is the Sanskrit word for meditation. (Location 152)
if the foundation of our being is not strong enough, then the more we do, the more troubled our society becomes. (Location 183)
The quality of our presence is the most positive element that we can contribute to the world. (Location 188)
Becoming aware of your breathing is the first step in taking care of yourself. (Location 191)
sit. We don’t need to sit with an intention like getting smarter or becoming enlightened. We can sit just to enjoy sitting and breathing. (Location 194)
in. To be alive is the greatest of all miracles, and you can rejoice in being alive. When you breathe in this way, your breath is a celebration of life. (Location 203)
Whenever we perform our daily activities with mindful awareness, we’re practicing meditation. (Location 216)
As we become freer and happier, we cease to act in ways that make others suffer, and we are able to bring about change in ourselves and help others around us become free. (Location 222)
When we sit, we bring joy and nourishment to ourselves and to others. Every time we sit, we can sit in such a way that the world can profit from our sitting. We are solid. We are relaxed. We are calm. We are happy while sitting. We sit as if we are sitting on a lotus flower, not on a heap of burning charcoal. (Location 224)
When you sit, sit in such a way that you feel you have already arrived. To sit doesn’t mean to struggle. (Location 238)
The people who put her in prison were trying to control her. She had to practice so she wouldn’t lose her mind; sitting like that gave her space in her heart. (Location 268)
People can try to steal many things from us, but they can’t steal our determination and our practice. (Location 271)
If you don’t have enough compassion for yourself and for others, you won’t have the courage to cut off the afflictions that make you suffer. (Location 368)
When you have a toothache, the feeling is very unpleasant. When you don’t have a toothache, you usually have a neutral feeling; you’re not aware of your non-toothache. When you are mindful of not having a toothache, then what was a neutral feeling becomes a feeling of peace and joy. You are so happy not to have a toothache in this moment. By (Location 413)
transforming neutral feelings into joyful ones, we nourish our happiness. (Location 416)
When you sit alone quietly, it’s something beautiful, even if nobody sees it. When a little flower appears in a crack between two rocks, it’s a beautiful sight. People may never see it, but that’s okay. (Location 439)
Consider daily sitting meditation to be a kind of spiritual food. When we sit, we produce the energy of mindfulness and a (Location 452)