Thich Nhat Hanh Healing in Vietnam The Wonderful World of Gathas

young REFLECTIONSLove EqualsBy Emily HilsbergWWhat love means to me is I love spending time with myfamily and friends. What I love to do is going to DeerPark. It is a Buddhist monastery. It is very unusual.Deer Park has a Tea Room. The tea room is at SolidityHamlet and Clarity Hamlet. You can also have bonfires.Dennis and his dog Smokey had a bonfire with us. Itcan be very cold at night. Trust me it gets super cold.That’s what love means to me, being with my family.Deer Park is where Monks and Nuns live. To live thereyou need to shave your head and wear brown and blueoutfits. There is a koi fish pond.Emily Hilsberg, age 10, lives with her family inCulver City, California. She received theTwo Promises at Deer Park and her Dharmaname is Serenity Sunrise of the Heart.DeepRelaxationfor ChildrenBy Sister Jewel, Chau NghiemAt the Family Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park, the children led the deeprelaxation for the whole sangha. It was so sweet! Here are excerpts fromthat practice.Deep relaxation is a wonderful chance to allow our bodies torest. When our body is at ease and relaxed, our mind is also calmand at peace. The practice of deep relaxation helps our body andmind to heal. Please take the time to practice it often— for fiveor ten minutes when you wake up in the morning, before goingto bed in the evening, or during the middle of the day. The mostimportant thing is to enjoy it.Please lie down comfortably on your back. Close your eyes.Allow your arms to rest gently on either side of your body. Letyour legs and feet relax, opening outwards.• We begin by following our breathing. When we breathe in,we feel our tummy rise up. When we breathe out, we feelour tummy go down again. Our breathing comes in andout like waves on the ocean, very relaxed, very peaceful.Just notice the rise and fall of your belly.• As you breathe in and out, become aware of your wholebody lying down. With each out-breath, feel yourself relaxdeeper and deeper into the floor, letting go of everything:worries, fear, or thoughts.• Breathing in, I feel my two hands. Breathing out, Icompletely relax all the muscles in my two hands.Breathing in, I feel lucky to have two good hands;breathing out, I smile to my two hands. My two hands areso precious! With my two hands, I can paint. I can draw.I can write. I can hold hands with my friend, and much,much more.• Breathing in, I feel my two arms. Breathing out, I allowmy arms to completely relax. Breathing in, I feel happy tohave two strong arms. Breathing out, I let go of any tightmuscles and I feel joy and ease in my arms. With my armsI can hug Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa. Now I cansay thank you to my two arms.• Breathing in, I feel my shoulders. Breathing out, Ilet my shoulders rest and give all their weight to thefloor. Breathing in, I send my love to my shoulders and40 Summer 2007