Deer Park Monastery, Escondido, California

In this ... first talk of a week-long mindfulness retreat for people of color, Zen Master the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh – whom Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize – gives instruction in the basic mindfulness practices of sitting meditation, walking meditation, and awareness of the present moment.

Buddhist mindfulness techniques can help to bring the mind back to the body so that you are fully present here and now. For sitting meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh describes simple practices of awareness that increase a sense of well being and release tension in the body. He offers walking meditation as a practice that can help you to live deeply every moment of your life, free from the prison of the past and of the future. He gives instruction, too, in addressing pain and anger in your heart and developing a deeper awareness of and appreciation for everyday moments of life: cooking, cleaning, driving, and working in such a way that you feel peaceful, mindful,and happy.