I love the softness of the present, of being present.

The lightness.

The ease.

The expansive feeling of feeling like I can breathe.

There’s a gentleness, a warmth, a spaciousness in presence, in being present.

I remind myself every day to come back to the present, to this breath, to this moment, to where I am right now.

It’s easy to get lost in our thoughts, in the mind, in our movements, in the things that are happening, in the world around us.

But there’s a delicious softness in presence, in being present.

There’s grace and ease.

When we’re present, we’re here, right now, fully in this moment.

When we’re present, we’re present with ourselves—right here, right now, in this moment, in this breath.

Here are 10 Thich Nhat Hanh quotes that will soften your heart:

1. “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

2. “Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”

3. “Smile, breathe and go slowly.”

4. “Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”

5. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”

6. “The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”

7. “Life is available only in the present moment.”

8. “When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”

9. “Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”

10. “The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.”

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