An Excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh: The Joy of Full Consciousness Jean-Pierre and Rachel Cartier

Jean-Pierre and Rachel Cartier report on their experiences while attending a retreat at Plum Village led its founder Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is a passage on walking meditation as a practice of attention.

"Try to practice this in your daily life. Even when you go to the bus stop, make it into a walking meditation. Even if your surroundings are full of noise and agitation, you can still walk in rhythm with your breathing. Even in the commotion of a big city, you can walk with peace, happiness, and an inner smile. This is what it means to live fully in every moment of every day of your life. This is something which is possible.

"All of us who live here at Plum Village have signed an agreement with the flight of stairs we most often use. We agree to always practice walking meditation on these stairs, whether going up or down. Even on these stairs, we find a rhythm with our walk and our breath. We never take them absent-mindedly. When we realize we have climbed several steps in forgetfulness, we go back down and climb them over again. Over twenty years ago, I signed such an agreement with my stairs, and it has brought me great joy."