How can our practice support us during a health crisis?

When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 I found solace, wisdom, support and practical guidance in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh (affectionately known as ‘Thay’, which means ‘Teacher’ in Vietnamese) and the presence of my Sangha (mindfulness practice group).

My account of those first few moments of diagnosis now forms one of 32 short stories of healing and transformation inspired by Thay in a new book, ‘Tears Become Rain’, published on Oct 10th 2023 by Parallax Press, with all proceeds going to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.

Plum Village UK

I am so grateful that I had discovered the ‘Plum Village’ tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and had an established mindfulness practice before my diagnosis. Since then I have trained as a member of the Plum Village ‘Be Calm, Be Happy’ course leaders’ team, and as a Breathworks accredited Mindfulness Teacher specialising in mindfulness for pain management, anxiety and health conditions.

Here you can find a recording of the Plum Village UK Mindful Morning on 2nd October 2023, in which I read my short story from ‘Tears Become Rain’, and then share one of the key Plum Village meditations that supported my throughout my cancer treatment and recovery. Afterwards I take questions from some Plum Village friends who were part of this Zoom meeting. The morning is kindly facilitated by Miles Dunmore of the Heart of London Sangha and Wake Up Schools. We sit together with the Being Peace Sangha, who are raising funds to establish a Plum Village Practice Centre here in the UK.

If you would like to join other Mindful Mornings in the future, you can join the Plum Village UK mailing list by scrolling to the bottom of their website page here.

Thank you for your support.