Participants at a recent Wednesday sit of SnowFlower Sangha enjoyed learning the Ten Mindful Movements, a set of exercises that Thich Nhat Hanh created and that the monks and nuns practice daily at Plum Village.
Resembling Tai Chi or Yoga, these exercises engage practitioners in specified motions and in focused breathing at set times. If practitioners find a movement too challenging, they can readily alter the exercise or use a chair for balance.
Watch the video instruction offering Thay’s step-by-step demonstration of the Ten Mindful Movements for reference.
Parallax Press also offers a book on this practice, Mindful Movements, Ten Exercises For Well-Being that includes both written instruction and an accompanying DVD of Thay demonstrating these exercises. The publisher’s website states these practices “can address mental, emotional, and physical stress” and help the practitioner “gain the serenity . . . need[ed] to return to a state of mindfulness.”
