Thich Nhat Hahn and Oprah Interview on The Wisdom of Sundays …
Oprah: What if in this moment of mindfulness, you are being challenged? Do you go to your breath then, or do you just not resist this challenging situation? What is the first thing you do?
Thich Nhat Hanh: All you have to do is breathe mindfully and recognize the feeling. You recognize the situation and help yourself not be overwhelmed by the negative feeling like fear or anxiety. You are still yourself. It’s like a mother: When the baby is crying, she picks up the baby and she holds the baby tenderly in her arms. Your pain, your anxiety is your baby: You have to take care of it. You have to go back to yourself, recognize the suffering in you, embrace the suffering, and you get relief. And if you continue with your practice of mindfulness and concentration, you understand the roots, the nature of that ill-bing, and you know the way to transform it.