Jerry Braza - Practicing Mindfulness: Finding Calm and Focus in Your Everyday Life

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Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

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Copyright 2020 Jerry Braza

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-8048-5260-9; ISBN 978-1-4629-2206-2 (ebook)

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Foreword

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is the basis for transforming ourselves and creating a more harmonious family and society. It is the miracle that allows us to become fully alive in each moment. The deepest fruit of mindfulness practice is the realization that peace and joy are available, within us and around us, right here and now. This is something we can taste, and we can offer it to everyone we meet and everyone we love.

In Practicing Mindfulness, Dr. Jerry Braza suggests many simple exercises in which to apply the practice of mindfulness to our daily lives. I congratulate him for offering such thoughtful, creative and clear explanations of the practical benefits of practicing mindfulness. This is a very useful guide for living mindfully. I hope you will return to it again and again and practice wholeheartedly the exercises Dr. Braza offers.

Acknowledgments

I am profoundly grateful to the many people who have walked with me and offered deeper understanding of the practice of mindfulness.

First, I bow to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who has been my teacher for more than 30 years. He ordained me as a dharma teacher 20 years ago, and offered an ongoing connection with him and his worldwide lineage of teachers and practitioners. That community provided the inspiration for this book.

My wife, Kathleen, has offered continual support and provides a mirror for the practice of mindfulness. She listens to my joys and struggles and has always been there to nurture me and encourage me to seek opportunities for practice. Kathleen has been an astute editor, reviewing and improving each chapter as it emerged. Most important, her loving presence in my life has been an example of kindness and compassionthe heart of this book.

My son, Mark Braza, and daughter, Andrea Godfrey, offered me firsthand experiences in practicing mindfulness; they knew me as a young dad and provided feedback as to how my practice was going. I hope they witnessed a gradual awakening. Mark is an environmental health scientist at the General Accountability Office in Washington, D.C. Andrea lives in Geneva, Switzerland, where she works at the World Health Organization. They understand what it means to make a difference in the lives of others.

The current edition of this book was supported by my spiritual friend and editor, Nadene LeCheminant. Her understanding of the practice of mindfulness is a reflection of her being, and with her editing acumen, she gently critiqued and helped frame my words to make them more beautiful.

Tuttle Publishing has offered invaluable support. During our 25-year relationship, their belief in my work and writing has been a mainstay. This rewrite is the third book they have supported, including The Seeds of Love. I am indebted to editor Doug Sanders, who has been a critical guide in mindfully reviewing and taking this project through the publication process.

My philosophy was deepened and supported by two deceased monksPhap De (Adrian Stier), a former Catholic priest who became a Buddhist monk, and Brother Mark Filut, a Catholic monk who resided at the local Trappist Abbey. They helped understand that a connection with God, the divine and ultimate is possible!

Special gratitude goes to those inspirational teachers whose writings and teachings resonate with me in an almost mystical way. They include Jon Kabat-Zinn, Joan Halifax, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, John ODonohue, Rick Hanson, The Dalai Lama, Bessel Van der Kolk, Richard Rohr, Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Stephen Levine, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Carl Rogers. Their guidance has inspired me, and I humbly hope my writings reflect their wisdom.

Anam Cara Friends on the path include Werner Brandt, Bob Brevoort, Charles Busch, Geoff Colvin, Jack Curtis, Dave Disorbio, Gary Gach, Ann Martin, Nisi Segor, Joe Spader, Tom Stella and John Wadsworth. These dear friends have been open to shining a light on my reflections and journey.

To you, the readersthank you for picking up this book! I trust it will support you in your journey to find happiness in each moment.

Introduction

Often, if we pay attention, when we come to a challenging fork in the road of life, a book falls from a shelf, or a friend shares a story, or we find the perfect quote to highlight our journey ahead and, magically, a path appears or a new door opens.

In the mid-1980s, as a college professor and divorced dad with two children, I found myself preoccupied with stress-related chest pains. I was just getting by and the road ahead did not seem to offer healing answers. It was at that time I attended a conference in which the keynote speaker was Dr. Elisabeth Kbler-Ross, who is credited for popularizing the five stages of grief. She said, At the end of life, we do not remember thingsour jobs, our money. What we remember are moments, especially moments with loved ones.

Soon after, in a training workshop with well-known human-istic psychologist Carl Rogers, I witnessed firsthand the powerful modeling of emotional presence and wondered: How does one learn and practice such a strong awareness of the present moment? I began to study the work of various meditation teachers such as Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield and Stephen Levine. From their teachings, the word mindfulness surfaced, and be here now became my mantra.