Our overall focus is still on the Buddha's Full Discourse on Breathing but we are going to do a Deep Dive into the Calm-Ease mediation. It's a lovely meditation that is always applicable and it is readily available with its simple gathas. In - Out, Calm - Ease, Smile - Release and Present Moment - Wonderful Moment.
The Deep Dive will cover: Try and Break the Meditation | Peace and Happiness | Crossing the Line into BEing | Smiling Love | Healthy Relationships | and Liberation.
There is so much life to experience and discover with the Calm-Ease meditation. ...Thank you for your gift, Thay.
Try to Break It | 1 of 6
This podcast episode centers on exploring Thich Nhat Hanh's "Calm - Ease" meditation, a simple yet profound practice focused on the Buddha's Full Awareness of Breathing using guiding phrases (gathas) like In - Out and Smile - Release. The speaker emphasizes that the true depth and growth of the practice come not from seeking complex answers, but from curious, mindful, and direct experience of the breath in the Here and Now, encouraging the listener to discover the enjoyment Thay speaks of. The core lesson is that the meditation is resilient—"You Can't Break the Meditation"—allowing practitioners to freely experiment with pairing various sensations (like a cooling nose, tummy expansion, or smiling) with their in-and-out breaths without pressure, simply by gently listening and BEING with the reality of their present experience.
This podcast episode addresses the question of how to correctly practice the Calm - Ease meditation by identifying Peace and Happiness as the two "north star" guiding experiences. The speaker encourages an organic, non-judgmental, and playful exploration of the breath (In - Out), which is described as a "Loveliness" that is tender yet dependable. By practicing mindful listening (not thinking), the practitioner is invited to share this "Loveliness" to soothe anxieties (Calm - Ease), fostering Peacefulness. This calmness then allows one to Look Deeply and offer Love (Smile) to transform suffering and agitation into compassion and Release, leading to Contentment and Happiness (Present Moment - Wonderful Moment). Ultimately, the practice is correct if it consistently nurtures the blooming of Peace and Happiness, staying grounded in the Buddha's Full Discourse on Breathing.
Crossing the Line into BEing | 3 of 6
This podcast episode focuses on transitioning from the mind's noisy chatter to the state of "Being" through mindful breathing and listening, which aligns with Thich Nhat Hanh's description of direct perception—perceiving things-in-themselves without thought, comparison, or delusion. The practice of the Calm - Ease meditation begins by gently shifting attention from thinking words like Innnn - Ouuuut to fully listening to the breath and body sensations (like warmth, relaxation, and expansion), which provides the mind with a rich, present-moment experience to focus on, thus softening noisy thoughts. By embracing this transition from the Historical perspective of painful past conclusions to the Ultimate perspective of direct, mindful awareness, the practitioner can transform suffering by offering the loveliness and gentleness of the breath to soothe and heal inner pain, confirming that the more one lets go of thinking and actively listens, the more profound the state of Being becomes.
This podcast episode emphasizes the integral role of the smile as a constant companion in the Thich Nhat Hanh Calm - Ease meditation and the journey of letting go. The smile begins as a natural response to the enjoyment and pleasantness (In - Out, Deep - Slow) affirmed through mindful listening to the experience of breathing, which validates correct practice. It then broadens into a powerful act of compassionate self-love (Smile - Release), serving to relax the nervous system and offer gentleness and kindness to one's suffering, facilitating the release of associated tension without eliminating the core hurt. Ultimately, the presence of "some concentration" on this practice leads to joy and establishes the Present Moment as a Wonderful Moment, offering intrinsic motivation and cultivating a "lovely, all-day smile" that affirms the freedom and transformation found in simply BEING.
Healthy Relationships | 5 of 6
This podcast segment defines healthy relationships—both intra-personal (with oneself) and interpersonal (with others)—as being grounded in mindful listening and loving kindness, mirroring the qualities of an ideal friend. The Calm - Ease meditation cultivates this through the practice of Being with the breath (In - Out) and body (Calm - Ease), which fills the mind with sensory awareness and quiets the critical, judgmental mind. By listening deeply to our own sensations and suffering unconditionally and without judgment, as Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, we offer ourselves the loving kindness of a smile to recognize and transform hurt into compassionate flowers. Once one masters listening to their own suffering, they can offer the same compassionate, non-judgmental presence and deep listening to others, seeing the other person's suffering and knowing instinctively how to offer relief and support.
The Colors of Liberation | 6 of 6
This podcast segment explains that the Calm - Ease meditation naturally introduces the "Colors of Liberation"—contemplations on Emptiness, Aimlessness, and Signlessness—even if the practitioner isn't consciously seeking them, because liberation is inextricably linked with Peace and Happiness. Using the metaphor of a gradually widening window, the speaker illustrates how the process of letting go of limiting beliefs expands one's awareness to see deeper truths while the foundational joy of the practice remains consistent. Experiencing Peace, Happiness, Wonderment, Gratitude, and Joy confirms correct practice, as these emotions are rooted in the discovery of Emptiness (seeing the profound interbeing of breath and body), Aimlessness (feeling contentment and lacking nothing), and Signlessness (realizing that all forms are momentary expressions of continuing life). The essential message is to simply BE in the moment, as one is already experiencing liberation and arriving home.