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. 

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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.

 

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September 2022