Discussion of teachers, techniques, paths and so forth culminated into some pers

onal and candid sharing with one another. She knew some of my past but not all o
f it. She d never heard the stories of my self-inflicted cutting, or that I used t
o sleep on a dozen sharp knives because it gave me a sense of being alive in an
otherwise empty and fleeting day to day reality. Then there was the suicide atte
mpts, numerous trips to emergency rooms, rehabs and psych wards, all of which sh
e took in stride.
As I went to sleep in my friends cozy guest bed, I reflected on those dark times
and how truly transformative the following technique taught by Thich Nhat Hanh
has been in turning my life around. I also thought that since it s worked so well
for me, it may work well for you too.
It s extremely simple and can be done anytime, anywhere and in virtually any circu
mstance.
The following is my translation and is not verbatim. As Hanh teaches, however, i
t s not the words that matter but our commitment to, and intention behind the prac
tice.
So with that being said, I ve broken it down to seven simple steps for you.1. When
ever you become aware of negative thoughts and emotions arising, rather than ign
oring them, or setting them aside for later, identify, acknowledge, and honor th
em.
2. Become
ghts that
ut future
resent or

very clear on what the specific upset is by identifying the exact thou
are bothering you. Are they self-judging, bad memories, or anxiety abo
events? Any thought that causes dis-ease in you, regardless of past, p
future is applicable.

3. Next, indentify the specific emotions that arise in you as a result of said t
houghts. What do they feel like? Is there tightening in your chest? Is your stom
ach turning or is there a throbbing sensation in your head? Again, any emotion t
hat causes dis-ease is applicable.
4. Once you ve clearly identified the thought(s) and emotion(s), close your eyes a
nd explore the imagery they subsequently create in your mind (once you re familiar
with the practice, you won t always need to close your eyes i.e., if you re driving,
or in public you can still do this.) Do the thoughts and emotions create colors,
shapes, figures? Are they abstract or clear? The important thing is to let your
thoughts and emotions create the imagery while you simply become aware of what
they are.
5. Breathe. We re at the half way mark and I d like to offer you a sincere congratul
ations on completing the first half! Our natural tendency is to suppress these u
ncomfortable thoughts and emotions, often telling ourselves that we ll deal with t
hem later but honestly, does later ever come? Unfortunately for most of us, it nev
er does. So even just by taking the time to become conscious of, and identify th
ese unpleasant thoughts and emotions is a huge step! Let s not stop there however,
because here s where the really good stuff starts to happen.
6. This step is where everything begins to change! Once you have the mental imag
es of what your thoughts and emotions look like (and even if there s no image at a
ll, this practice still works), picture yourself holding the image (or lack ther
eof) in the same way a mother holds a newborn baby. Picture the image of your pa
inful thought and emotion wrapped in a warm blanket, being held with very loving
care closely to your heart, your chest, as you extend it very sincere compassio
n from your heart center. (You can also use the imagery of wrapping the thought/
emotion in a warm blanket and placing it in a baby carriage, and rocking the car
riage back and forth.)