Trauma-Informed Mindfulness in the Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Gathas are short poems to help bring our focus to the present moment. In our Plum Village traditions, we often practice breathing with gathas to guide our in-breath and our out-breath. We have many Plum Village gathas and we can write new gathas.
Sometimes when we practice or offer trauma-informed mindfulness in sangha, we might not focus on the breath. We might not choose to close our eyes. We may choose to write a new gatha for own practice.
Here is a gatha for you may wish to try walking, sitting, or laying down, eyes open or closed.
A Gatha for Grounding.
Breathing in,
I feel the ground solid below me
Breathing out
I grow more solid and free.
In, solid below me
Out, solid and free.
Breathing in
I hear sounds and name colors I see
Breathing out
I soothe my body, mind and heart
In, sounds and colors
Out, soothing.
September 2022