After surviving half of winter term, it’s time to take a beat and slow down by adopting mindfulness practices. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, created a series of pocket-sized books that act as a guide to reteach basic acts for incorporating mindfulness. 

Known as the “Father of Mindfulness,” Hanh founded the nonprofit publisher Parallax Press and published his mindfulness essentials in a series of journals called “How to Live” to introduce mindful exercises to beginners everywhere. I picked up, “How to Love,” hoping to gain insight in love in romantic relationships but learned much more. 
Before reading Hanh’s work, the idea of love seemed very simple to me; like something everyone was capable of doing. How hard can it be? Hanh reteaches these seemingly obvious concepts to allow people to be in the present and gain awareness of their actions. In “How to Love,” Hanh explains the importance of understanding in relationships. “Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand, you can’t love.” 

By Hanh’s teachings, love isn’t just an act or something to say at the end of a phone call — love is empathy, trust and respect held for the other person. 

As a child, I heard and witnessed stories about true love, typically between a prince and princess. These stories vary but repeat the theme in works like, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Sleeping Beauty” and even “Shrek.” These stories claim that true love is held between two people and those two people will usually live happily ever after. However, Hanh describes love as expansive. Typically in relationships, love is between the partners included, but in “How to Love” Hanh said, “If you practice true love, very soon that love will grow and include all of us.” 
Bodhi Coelho, a sophomore at UO, has read most of Hanh’s series and tries to incorporate mindfulness into his everyday life. He believes that mindfulness is a universal tool that can be applied to almost any situation. These books act as guides to utilize mindfulness by encouraging people to slow down and carefully process their thoughts and actions. This allows for fresh perspectives that can help people understand and engage with their environment. 
“Mindfulness is the most important skill that I’ve built throughout my life,” Coelho said. “What I really like about the books is that they’re philosophical but it’s not hard to understand. Hanh wanted to extend Buddhism outside of formal monasteries and temples because he wanted to make it feel accessible.”

A few ideas that resonated with him came from the book “How to Fight,” which describes the power of gentleness. It discusses how gentle and loving speech transforms negative thoughts and emotions in communication. In reference to Hanh’s belief that each person seeks to understand and to be understood, Coelho said, “I really like that framing because you can show love to anyone of any culture by seeking to understand.”

Coelho serves as a co-leader for a mindfulness club on campus. Together with fellow members, the club explores ways to integrate mindfulness into their daily routines, ranging from guided meditations to informal discussions. These books are particularly beneficial for beginners because they avoid philosophical jargon, ensuring accessibility to anyone eager to learn. 

The club adopts a practice introduced by Hanh known as “Hugging Meditation.” It begins with focusing on your breath to center yourself in the present moment while establishing true presence. This is then followed by an embrace, accompanied by deep breathing to acknowledge that you and your loved one are still alive, and cherishing that precious moment. This is a chance for loved ones to connect, heal, gain understanding and find happiness.

“I’m here in the present moment and I’m okay. That’s like the underlying thread in these books; focus on the present,” Coelho said. 

If you’re interested in learning more, Coelho and the rest of the mindfulness club can be found in room 117 in the Lokey Education Building every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. More information can be found in their Instagram @uomindfulness.