The Benefits of Mindful Breathing and Other Teachings


The Benefits of Conscious Breathing

Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.
Breathng Out, I know that I am breathing out.

“This exercise is simple, yet its effects are profound.  To succeed we must put our whole mind into our breathing and notwhere else….Anyone can succeed in the practice of a single conscious breath.  If we continue to breath consciously for ten breaths, without our mind going astray, then we have taken a valuable step on the path of practice….

The first result of conscious breathing is returning to ourselves……we often get lost in forgetfulness.  Our mind chases after thousands of things. And we rarely take the time to come back to ourselves….we lose touch with ourselves, and we feel alienated from ourselves….Conscious breathing is a marvelous way to return to ourselves.  When we are aware of our breath, we come back to ourselves as quick as a flash of lightening.  Like a child who returns home after a long journey, we feel the warmth of our hearth, and we find ourselves again.  Coming back to ourselves is already remarkable success on the path of practice.

The second result of conscious breathing is that we come in contact with life in the present moment, the only moment when we can touch life.  The life in us and around us is wonderful and abundant.  If we’re not free, we can’t be in contact with it and we’re not really living our lives.  We shouldn’t be imprisoned by regrets about the past, anxieties for the future, or attachment and aversion in the present.

To breathe with full awareness is a miraculous way to untie the knots of regret and anxiety and to be in touch with life in the present moment…As we breath consciously, our breath becomes more regular, and peace and joy arise and become more stable with every moment.  Relying on our breathing, we come back to ourselves and are able to restore the oneness of our body and mind.  This integration allows us to be in real contact with what is happening in the present moment, which is the essence of life.”

[Transformation and Healing, Thich Nhat Hanh]

More Teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village and the Buddha



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The Two Deepest Desires, https://tnhtalks.org/?s=the+two+deepest+desires [in Vietnamese with sub-titles.]
Mindfulness is a Path, Not a Tool: https://tnhtalks.org/2025/06/21/miap/
The Two Promises: Planting Seeds of Peace in Young Hearts: https://plumvillage.org/articles/two-promises-planting-seeds-of-peace-in-young-hearts

The Buddha’s Warning: How Tyranny Rises—and How to Resist It: Phap Luu,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY0HMFy69Gs
Arise Love Letter: A Call to Clarity in a Time of Chaos: https://www.arisesangha.org/blog/a-call-to-clarity

Free from Notions: A Talk on the Diamond Sutra, https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/free-from-notions-the-diamond-sutra


Meditation Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh: https://tnhmeditation.org/  

    16 Steps of Mindful Breathing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6MfxIbtKw&t=1834s,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inPkOzo_8XQ

Train Yourself in Mindful Breathing: https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/mindfulness-practice  [audio only]

  'How To Relax: A Guided Meditation with Thich Nhat Hanh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7YKF02hqxo&t=131s

The Music of Mindful Breathing, Thich Nhat Hanh, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f93haYpyOf4

 Walking Meditation with Thich Nhat Hanh-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdO1vZJgUu0

  Deepen Your Practice: Mindfulness of Feelings: https://deerparkmonastery.org/dharma/deepen-your-practice-mindfulness-of-feelings/?mc_cid=5f5d998406&mc_eid=b001ad9f26

   Stopping/Calming/Looking Deeply with Mindful Breathing: https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/rebuilding-health/?mc_cid=4b50273cc8&mc_eid=b001ad9f26

   Walking Meditation:  https://deerparkmonastery.org/video/introduction-to-walking-meditation/

    https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/mindfulness-practice


Love Meditation-Thich Nhat Hanh, https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/love-meditation/?mc_cid=3d3b8aae9d&mc_eid=b001ad9f26

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Be Beautiful, Be Yourself-Brother Bao Tang: Brother Bao Tang on the possibility of a "non-binary monastic order and the practice of speaking up and letting go." https://plumvillage.org/articles/be-beautiful-be-yourself-qa-with-brother-bao-tang
Expanding the Spectrum of Love, Brother Bao Tang: https://plumvillage.org/articles/expanding-the-spectrum-of-love
The Net of Sensual Love: https://tnhtalks.org/2025/04/19/nsl-part-5/#walking-mindfully-nourishes-ourselves-and-at-the-same-time-the-planet-earth [In Vietnamese with Translation, or as a transcript: see https://tnhtalks.org/ for talks Thay gave in Vietnamese [translated.].

“They call you a Bodhisattva”: Thich Nhat Hanh’s friendship with Dr.King  https://plumvillage.org/they-call-you-a-bodhisattva-thich-nhat-hanhs-friendship-with-dr-king


Stopping and Caring for Ourselves-Sister Peace at the Deer Park BIPOC Retreat May 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAArocSsb3A&t=1371s

Arise Sangha; Practicing with the Four Noble Truths:  https://www.arisesangha.org/practicing-with-the-4nt?mc_cid=ac1789ebbe&mc_eid=b001ad9f26


A Safe Space for Healing: BIPOC Journey's in Plum Village: https://plumvillage.org/articles/a-safe-space-for-healing-bipoc-journeys-in-plum-village

Female Buddhas: A Revolution for Nuns in the Plum Village Tradition:https://plumvillage.org/articles/female-buddhas-a-revolution-for-nuns-in-the-plum-village-tradition

Wake Up Retreat Dharma Talk by Sister The Nghiem, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq81cPVRNE4

Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment: Sister Chan Duc [Anabel]: http://tiny.cc/SrChanDuc7MTsangha2025

Earth is not Just Environment-Thich Nhat Hanh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJIlFwFOl9s

Four Mantras for Relationships and Meditations for the Sick and Dying, Thich Nhat Hanh   https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/meditations-for-the-sick-and-dying


Discourse on the White-Clad Disciple: The Buddha's Teaching of the Five Mindfulness Trainings:  https://deerparkmonastery.org/articles/discourse-on-the-white-clad-disciple/

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Illness and Dying/No-Birth and No-Death

Unborn and Indestructible:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ct0L0cZLk

Thich Nhat Hanh: 'Where do We Go,'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvcTgmF4Xug   


Discourse on the Teachings to be Given to the Sick: https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-teachings-to-be-given-to-the-sick/

Four Mantras for Relationships and Meditations for the Sick and Dying, Thich Nhat Hanh   https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/meditations-for-the-sick-and-dying

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I Walk For You: https://plumvillage.org/articles/i-walk-for-you---"I feel that sometimes we don’t necessarily experience transformation and reconciliation with the intended person, but somehow we are able to heal internally through the various situations that arise, and the people we come into contact with. And often when we least expect it."

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The Three Doors of Liberation: Sister Chan Duc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00lQ6ZwcYi0&t=1504s

Non-Attachment to Views ['Is Your Teacup Full'], Sister Dinh Nghiem,  https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/non-attachment-to-views


You Are Enough: Words for Teens, S. Dang Nghiem, https://plumvillage.org/articles/you-are-enough-words-for-teens


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Sutra on Transforming Violence and Fear: https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/sutra-on-transforming-violence-and-fear/

Recommendation, Thich Nhat Hanh  https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/recommendation-alone-again-poem-song

Questions & Answers Session | Thich Nhat Hanh | Day 5 of the Israeli Palestinian Retreat (2003)      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-54X5U9rCsg

“Our true enemy is hatred, ignorance, fear and the seed of violence deep in our consciousness.”https://plumvillage.org/articles/an-invitation-to-sit-together-for-peace


The Spirit of Plum Village   https://www.lionsroar.com/the-spirit-of-plum-village/  

Suffering Can Teach Us, Thich Nhat Hanh https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/suffering-can-teach-us

 Befriending Our Habits:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKfnBmL9xE&list=PLHB1Zqu9mBt9HNGw87amjLZM2OTHV01uh&index=46


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