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Geh-Meditation

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Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

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1390 people want to read

About the author

Thich Nhat Hanh

970 books12.8k followers
Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who then lived in southwest France where he was in exile for many years. Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary family name used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. He was often considered the most influential living figure in the lineage of Lâm Tế (Vietnamese Rinzai) Thiền, and perhaps also in Zen Buddhism as a whole.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
Profile Image for Tom Quinn.
654 reviews246 followers
March 4, 2020
Practical AND portable. For real: the whole book fits neatly into a pocket so you can take it along anywhere you go.

4 stars. Walking meditation is a beautiful practice, and Thich Nhat Hanh presents it beautifully here. Every tiny chapter is direct, encouraging, and useful. Taken in order, each presents a simple and logical add-on to the last, creating a quaint development plan for your personal practice, so it's a perfect guidebook for beginners to learn just what to do to get started. But it's also great for folks working at the "intermediate" level. Over time it helps you to improve what you've already begun. After borrowing this from the library for my first reading, I now own a copy and intend to revisit it daily.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
Author 1 book264 followers
August 23, 2018
“In fact, if you learn to take peaceful, anxiety-free steps on the Earth, you won’t need to go to the Pure Land. When you are peaceful and free, the Earth itself becomes a Pure Land, and there is no need to go anywhere else.”

Thich Nhat Hanh is such a blessing. His words are so gentle, so simple, so positive. I found this little book about walking meditation very helpful and inspiring--short ideas or suggestions interspersed with lovely black and white photographs of walkers. It’s not so much that he teaches you. It’s that he reminds you how simple it all is.

“Each step is life.”
Profile Image for T.Kay Browning.
Author 2 books8 followers
December 10, 2014
New goal in life: Always read a Thich Nhat Hanh during finals week. Tests are a celebration of knowledge dude!
Profile Image for Patricia.
473 reviews
February 25, 2013
"Walking meditation is meditation while walking. ...Anyone can do it. It takes only a little time, a little mindfulness, and the wish to be happy." This is the beginning of this little book of ways to practice meditation while walking. It's a sweet book, and here are a few of my favorite passages:

"Walking mindfully on the Earth can restore our peace and harmony, and it can restore the Earth's peace and harmony as well. We are children of the Earth. We rely on her for our happiness, and she relies on us also. Whether the Earth is beautiful, fresh, and green, or arid and parched depends on our way of walking. When we practice walking meditation beautifully, we massage the Earth with our feet and plant seeds of joy and happiness with each step. Our Mother will heal us, and we will heal her." (p. 21)

"When we practice walking meditation, we arrive in each moment. Our true home is in the present moment. When we enter the present moment deeply, our regrets and sorrows disappear, and we discover life with all its wonders. Breathing in, we say to ourselves, "I have arrived." Breathing out, we say, "I am home." When we do this, we overcome dispersion and dwell peacefully in the present moment, which is the only moment for us to be alive." (p. 37)

"When you walk, you might like to take the hand of a child. She or he will receive your concentration and stability, and you will receive the child's freshness and innocence. From time to time, she may want to run ahead and then wait for you to catch up. A child is a bell of mindfulness, reminding us how wonderful life is." (p. 44)

"We who have two legs can easily practice walking meditation. We must not forget to be grateful. We walk for ourselves, and we walk for those who cannot walk. We walk for all living beings, -- past, present, and future." (p. 55)

"You can practice walking meditation between meetings, on the way to your car, and up or down the stairs. When you walk anywhere, allow enough time to practice. Instead of three minutes, give yourself eight or ten. I always leave for the airport an extra hour early, so I can practice walking meditation there. Friends want to keep me until the last minute, but I resist. I tell them that I need the time." (p. 63)

"The practice of walking meditation opens your eyes to the wonders and the suffering of the universe. If you are not aware of what is going on around you, where do you expect to encounter ultimate reality?
Every path can be a walking meditation path, from tree-lined roadsides and fragrant rice paddies to the back alleys of Bosnia and the mine-filled dirt roads of Cambodia. When you are awake, you will not hesitate to enter any path.
You will suffer, not just from your own worries and fears, but because of your love for all beings. When you open yourself in this way, your companions will be other beings on the path of awakening who share your insight. They will work with you, side by side, to alleviate the world's suffering." (p. 64)

"Take my hand.
We will walk.
We will only walk.
We will enjoy our walk,
without thinking of arriving anywhere.
Walk peacefully.
Walk happily.
Our walk is a peace walk.
Our walk is a happiness walk." (p. 84)
Profile Image for Iona  Stewart.
833 reviews277 followers
August 7, 2011
This is a delightful little book, which brought me peace and calm just by reading it.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a wise Zen master, who lives in exile in France, in a community called Plum Village. He tells us we must learn to make "peaceful, anxiety-free" steps. Walking with mindfulness brings us "real happiness".

He teaches us how to walk noticing our breath and the number of steps we take whilst breathing in and out. If we take three steps while breathing in and four steps while breathing out, we can say to ourselves, for instance, "In, in, in" and "Out, out, out, out", one word for each step. At the same time we might imagine we're walking majestically like a tiger. We should keep a "half-smile" on our face while we walk. When we focus on the present moment in this way, all our worries disappear.

You can practise the walking meditation on the way to your car, or up and down the stairs. If possible, however, walk in a park or some other place where you're in contact with nature.

Hanh tells us that the Buddha imprinted peace and joy in the Earth with each step he took, When we walk as he did, we continue this work.

The book includes photos of Thich Nhat Hanh and others practising the walking meditation, some of the photos being from his community in Plum Village.

Towards the end of the book we are presented with examples of the author's poems. For example, the following little gem, entitled "Walking Peace":

Peace is the walk.
Happiness is the walk.

Walk for yourself
and you walk for everyone.

I highly recommend this peaceful little book. However, I must point out that it takes practice to coordinate one's breathing with one's steps and thus perform the meditation correctly. But practice makes perfect.
Profile Image for Riobhcah.
315 reviews
May 13, 2012
P. 18: "Walking meditation helps us to regain our sovereignty, our liberty as human beings. We walk with grace and dignity, like emporers, or lions."

Another wonderful book by Thich Nhat Hanh...This one teaches us how to reconnect with the energies of the earth by walking mindfully, and thus to overcome anxiety and delusion and to find the peace that exists in the present moment.

He makes a very good point in saying that all too often we walk upon the earth with steps of fear and sorrow, while walking peace and harmony can help to restore the earth since everything is connected. Mindful walking meditation can positively transform your inner self. I would highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
372 reviews9 followers
January 9, 2018
A good book for what it is, an adjunct to other meditation guides, and of course one that focuses primarily on the walking component. Written by a student and I believe relative of thich nhat hanh, this book bring peace simply from reading it. The adjunct DVD is super brief, and I have not yet listened to the included meditations, but hope to do so shortly. Overall, the book itself is a quick read with some useful insights, but not a whole lot of value added over more comprehensive meditation guides.
Profile Image for Maureen.
726 reviews112 followers
August 12, 2008
I had a unique opportunity to spend time with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns who travel with him. One of the most beautiful parts of spending time with them was doing the walking meditation. It was particularly interesting for me, because I am used to forging ahead. Instead, I slowly lifted one foot and placed it in front of the other, while paying attention to my breathing and slowly becoming aware of the beauty of the earth around me.

This postcard-sized book is filled with photographs to aid the novice walker on his or her way. Along with suggestions on how to walk mindfully and how to breathe, there are Thich Nhat Hanh's thoughts on bringing peace and harmony to the world, and as with all of his writings, poetry and a bit of music are included. Walking meditation is a deep practice that anyone can do. I highly recommend both the book and the practice of walking meditation.
Profile Image for Irene Jurna.
170 reviews9 followers
November 20, 2022
“Wanneer je echt oefent, zul je bij iedere voetstap raken aan de wereld van niet-geboorde en niet-dood.”

Thich Nhat Hanh schrijft groots over elk stapje dat je zet. Wat een oefening, om bij elke stap de grond van je bestaan te raken. Om iedere keer dat je van de ene plaats naar de andere gaat, in bewuste aandacht te lopen.

Om daarmee te werken, heeft hij verassende oefeningen, zoals: lopen als een tijger (langzaam en majestueus), lopen met gedichtjes, lopen terwijl je woedend bent, tussen vergaderingen door, of door te visualiseren dat er een lotus groeit steeds daar waar je je voet hebt neergezet.

“Lopen voor alle levende wezens - uit het verleden, het heden en de toekomst.” Het maakt je loopje naar het koffiezetapparaat een hele andere ervaring.

[Dankjewel wandelmaatje Job. Voor al onze wandeltochten; en voor dit boek dat je me cadeau gaf]
Profile Image for Tony Romine.
304 reviews6 followers
February 10, 2017
One of the biggest excuses I hear for people not meditating is that there is no time for it during the day. Thich Nhat Hanh provides here a small, simple book to make walking into the peace filled, mindful exercise it should be. If utilized properly, this book can turn even a 5 minute walk from your desk to your car into a mindful moment of happiness. Very highly recommended.
Profile Image for Julie.
52 reviews
October 13, 2017
Lovely! I read this on a contemplative retreat.
50 reviews
April 9, 2022
I loved this book. An interweaving of poetic verse and clear-headed guide to walking meditation. “I’ve arrived, I am home” is a mantra I’ll keep with me.
21 reviews
May 30, 2022
If you walk and want to experience NOW this book is for you.
Profile Image for Beth.
260 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2020
It is fortuitous that this little gem came into my hands at this time. It is a both instructional guide to meditative walking, a book of poetry, and a touchstone for inspiration in hard times. I had it on reserve at my local library and it came in and one was of the last few books I collected right before the self-quarantine and libraries closed for COVID-19. As a consequence, my library has asked us to hold all materials until the libraries re-open. So, I will get to practice my walking meditation, reread some of this work, practice some more, and read again.

As we struggle as humans to find connection to the world around, this little book by Thich Nhat Hanh may help you. And we can all use a little help every now and again.
Profile Image for Luna.
137 reviews
May 31, 2022
Read it a year ago and re-read. Some lessons I'll be taking away:
- Walk as if your feet are kissing the earth.
- Keep a half-smile on your face as you're walking.
- Let the thoughts enter, acknowledge them.
- If you're feeling emotional and don't have the bandwidth to process the emotions as they're rising, simply say "hello" to them and acknowledge them. When you move into a more comfortable space where you can process these emotions, then do so. But not when you're feeling like you can't handle the emotional processing time and energy needed to move forward.

This is a book that I'm going to revisit. I also just learned that there's a plum village app available to download in which guided walking meditations are also available. So it's a great complimentary if you no longer have a device that can play DVDs/ CDs.
Profile Image for Andrea Stoeckel.
3,138 reviews132 followers
April 2, 2022
"Each step is life"
"If you can make one peaceful step, then peace is possible"
"The earth will be safe when we feel safe ourselves"

This marvelous meditation on walking may be something you think you can't do. After reading this small book you may feel another way. The three quotes above are real truths in my own life. I have walked with a walker for a long time; my posture reflects that.The late Thich Nhat Hanh is still teaching us about walking gently and peacefully. Highly recommended 5/5
Profile Image for Mael Brigde.
Author 1 book11 followers
September 11, 2023
This isn’t the first time I have read this book. And I have immediately begun it again. Every day when I do walking meditation I read a page, which is really more of a paragraph, and bear those thoughts in mind as I walk – to the best of my ability! My mind is just as susceptible to wandering off as anyone else’s. But it really helps the quality of my meditation to have that small bit of guidance when I begin.
Profile Image for Heidi.
141 reviews26 followers
April 11, 2025
Another short and helpful book by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Profile Image for Alicia.
229 reviews4 followers
June 5, 2023
Second or third reading. Always a nice reminder. Tis’ the season for slow walks and reverence.
Profile Image for Izzati.
583 reviews6 followers
April 9, 2020
This was my first time reading a meditation book and I didn't really enjoy it as much as other people did, probably because it is such a niche. I only read it because I wanted to do the Two Book Nerds Talking April Challenge and because it was available on Scribd. And I suppose because I do 10,000 steps everyday and sometimes get overwhelming emotions that I'd like to control.

I wouldn't say meditation wouldn't work, I think it takes practice. But the reason why this book is nothing much to me is because it is so repetitive and full of what I always call "fluff" - a lot of words without much content. It's a very short book but the message could have been delivered in a much shorter and precise way.

But then again, it might just be what people who want to meditate need or prefer.

Also, I feel like most meditation guides sound pretty much the same so really the input here isn't much at all.

That being said, I love how they tell you to invite the ugly emotions in instead of trying to hide or fight them.
Profile Image for Jody Mena.
449 reviews8 followers
Read
June 1, 2015
Very short - its almost more of a pamphlet than a book - but very powerful! There is always much to gain from reading the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, this book was no exception. He lays out the method of walking meditation mixed in with philosophical insights and poetic metaphors. It's all very uplifting and calming. The methods in this little book are so great too, walking meditation while practicing deep breathing is good for the body, mind and spirit, it really is one of the most satisfying and effective methods of meditation in my opinion, because it engages your entire being, from the physical to the metaphysical, including all of who and what you are in the raising of awareness and awakening. I really recommend this for everyone; he even provides a method of meditation for people who cannot walk for themselves due to injury or handicap, by observing and meditating upon others walking. So anyone can reap the benefits of this, and there are so many!
Profile Image for Glen Grunau.
273 reviews21 followers
July 17, 2017
A simple little book that teaches how to turn walking into meditation. The author comes from a Buddhist orientation but his truth is easily transferable to Christian contemplative practice.

It is difficult for me to do anything without some sort of end or purpose in mind. How naturally I succumb to an achievement rather than a receptive orientation to life. Even my walking needs to have a destination in mind - getting from home to work, getting from work to home, taking my dog out for exercise with a clear route and destination in mind. Not all so bad really. But this book has reminded me that even with such destinations in focus, I can still take care to walk mindfully in the present moment. Because as Thich Nhat Hanh wisely says, "Our true home is the present moment".

"People sat that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on the Earth is the real miracle".
Profile Image for Sue.
592 reviews1 follower
December 31, 2009
This is a wonderful book for anyone who wishes to practice a basic form of meditation. The book comes with a DVD which introduces you to Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh explains some of the principals of Walking Meditation. His gentle voice and sense of humor immediately put me at ease.
This edition also comes with an audio CD that will lead the listener through several sessions of Walking Meditation of differing levels and lengths. The person doing the guided CD lessons is a woman with a clear, pleasant voice.
The book does a very good job of giving the reader an overview of the practice. With the DVD and the CD, this is a great way to start relaxing by living in the here and now.
Profile Image for Tom.
28 reviews35 followers
December 25, 2012
Thích Nhât Hanh, (1996), The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation, Parallax Press, Berkeley, CA. This short, practical how-to book on walking meditation is worth its weight in gold. I have adapted its principles for my morning jog, so that I do a “running meditation” some days, and walking meditation other days. This book can work miracles if you put it in practice.
Profile Image for Lucas.
12 reviews2 followers
January 29, 2019
Esse livro foi minha grande descoberta no fim do ano passado. Acometidos pelas ansiedades e demandas do dia a dia, esquecemos que nosso caminho do ponto A ao ponto B é repleto de belezas, acontecimentos e momentos para refletirmos. E sermos gratos pela vida. Tudo com calma, paz e serenidade.
Profile Image for matty creen.
51 reviews
March 12, 2021
Almost as relaxing as walking meditation 🚶‍♂️

It’s a short book but super pleasant in its simplicity. Walking meditations are usually wonderful, and this book has only made me want to them even more.
Profile Image for Chris Gager.
2,062 reviews88 followers
November 7, 2011
A small picture book that's a tribute to TNH's ministry around the world and a guide to walking meditation. We all need a lot more peace in our lives for sure. Date is approximate.
Profile Image for Bernie Gourley.
Author 1 book114 followers
March 11, 2022
This brief guide to walking meditation lays out a basic practice linking breath and stride, and then explores such topics as: how to apply the practice to varied environments, coping with emotion through [and during] walking, the social dimension of walking meditation, and a few thoughts on applying the practice to jogging. The book is nominally attributed to the beloved Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk who recently passed (i.e. January 2022,) Thich Nhat Hanh, but it seems the bulk of the book was written by the co-author (Nguyen Anh-Huong.) That said, it’s a clearer distribution of labor than usual for mega-guru books; not only does the author get a co-author credit but the words of Thich Nhat Hanh are presented as textboxes with bylines.

The book is less than a hundred pages of text, but the edition I have came with a CD and DVD (if anyone still has a player for these antiquated technologies. If you’re paying full price, I’d make sure you have some means to play the CD and DVD. I obtained a used copy at a low price, so it wasn’t a concern.) The book’s brevity has both pros and cons. On the pro side, it keeps things simple. The practice is a straightforward one of linking one’s breath to one’s stride, and there’s no tedious elaborations or variations with which to contend. On the con side, if one is looking for insight into improving alignment or biomechanics of walking, that’s not covered in this book. That is probably for the best, because it’s hard to avoid overthinking the practice if one is given extensive directions on stride and the like. This isn’t so much a criticism as an attempt to temper expectations for those who may feel they would benefit from some sort of anatomical or biomechanical insights on walking or physiological insights about the breath.

If you’re looking for a quick and straightforward guide to practicing walking meditation, give it a read.
20 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2023
A delightful way to take your mindful meditation and loving kindness for a walk with you

This author has for years been a delight and his way he expresses Buddhism with loving kindness and mindfulness.

Many books on Buddhism and enlightenment meditation have been written, but the expression of love and kindness is perfected in his lifetime a focused sincere expression of unconditional love for all beings is the antidote to the chaos of life.

Whether you are a beginner or very advanced meditator the insights this author gives for mindfulness meditation while walking is definitely a positive step towards taking your meditation off your cushion in the morning and throughout your day and allows your sleep to be productive and restful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews

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