“The first four miracles of mindfulness belong to the first aspect of meditation, shamatha — stopping, calming, resting, and healing. Once you have calmed yourself and stopped being dispersed, your mind will be one-pointed and you will be ready to begin looking deeply. The Fifth Miracle of Mindfulness is looking deeply (vipashyana), which is also the second aspect of meditation. Because you are calm and concentrated, you are really there for deep looking. You shine the light of mindfulness on the object of your attention, and at the same time you shine the light of mindfulness on yourself.”
Thich Naht Hanh
Categories: Buddha, Philosophy
Be mindful today #24 The Present Usually Hurts! 
Be mindful today #23 Reorder Your Life! 
Be mindful today #22 Your Last Act 
Be mindful today: #21 Gradual Awakening 
The Two Doctors 
I think of all those miracles, stopping is the hardest. It is so easy to be caught up in whatever emotion or turmoil you’re embroiled in that you think that’s all there is to life and to you. But once you’ve stopped, then you can start to be calm. At least, that’s how it works for me. When I remember to stop! Which I’m getting better at.
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I find stopping the hardest too in my meditation sessions, anything between 5 and 15 min to stop my thoughts. This morning it was all about our fridge/freezer which had stopped working and my mind is buzzing with it at 6.30am!!!
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