PREVENTION OR HEALING: PRACTICES FOR MAINTAINING HEALTH
It's common for us to seek help only when stress has reached its peak, when anxiety has skyrocketed, or when the first symptoms of illness appear. However, the practice of mindfulness offers us invaluable wisdom that allows us to prevent suffering or, at the very least, to experience it with much less intensity.
That's why I don't wait to feel bad about myself or others, nor do I question what I'm doing here to deserve so much suffering. I act preemptively; I prepare for difficult moments simply by continuing my personal evolution.
When I feel good, I pause to savor that feeling of well-being. This allows me to practice in the morning with more energy, intention, and resolve. And throughout the day, I stop to observe the beautiful moments that occur: a child's smile, an unexpected hug, the morning song of the birds, a kind gesture from a neighbor or colleague... Anything that nourishes the seeds of unconditional love, compassion, peace, joy... We water these seeds, as Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us, by pausing in these moments and breathing consciously three times. This expands our attention and full awareness, so that when difficult times arrive—that is, when a circumstance awakens our seeds of despair, exhaustion, fear, anger, or guilt—we are able to embrace these emotions without judgment, simply being with them. We receive them with full awareness.
It then becomes much easier, in those moments, to pause and take a step back to gain a complete and deep understanding of what's truly happening. This allows us to make space for compassion and love and to have a clearer perception of reality. We can transform thoughts and emotions to follow the path we desire, because we know it serves us well, before those thoughts, followed by emotions, transform into actions driven by these impulses. The goal is for our actions to arise from a different space: one of calm, tranquility, and clear, profound insight.
In this way, we train our inner strength to such an extent that it becomes much simpler not to stray too far from this line of peace, stillness, and joy, and to return to it more quickly, with less energy expenditure, and with greater awareness of what is happening, like an attentive observer of life.
We can also continue in the same direction with the practice of gratitude at night before going to bed. Once settled, we prepare for sleep by simply bringing to mind all the beautiful moments we've experienced during the day—those that warmed our hearts and for which we feel grateful. They say to start with three, as I explain in my book: ‘My daily practices: build and strengthen your daily physical and mental routine to live to the full’ but it will be very easy to add more and more moments until we drift off to sleep. In this state, our subconscious will process these moments, guiding us towards a regenerative and lasting sleep, ready to wake up fresh in the morning for our daily practices.
Thus, our lifestyle transforms, becoming healthier, and everything around us begins to illuminate.
