Have you ever walked along a road, trail, or beach when a small stone caught your eye? Perhaps it was the unique shape, color, beauty, or the ways it reflected the sunlight, but for whatever reason you were moved to pick it up. Maybe you even took it with you as a reminder of that place or moment.

When the majority of us spend most of our weeks working at desks and staring at screens, it is easy to feel disconnected from the many wonders of our natural world. Looking deeply, we know that we are one with nature—however this concept is easy to forget as we get caught up in our projects and schedules.

Small items, like a stone or pebble, can serve as portable reminders to pause and breathe. Place them at your desk or stick them in your pocket—whatever works best for you. In this six minute video, Brother Thay Phap Huu guides us through Thich Nhat Hanh’s meditation of the natural world within us. Holding each of the four stones, we acknowledge the freshness of our flower, the stability of our mountain, the stillness of our waters, and the space within and around us to be free. 

Flower Fresh

Breathing in, I feel fresh
Breathing out, I am a flower

Mountain Stability

Breathing in, I feel solid
Breathing out, I am a mountain

Water Reflection

Breathing in, water stillness
Breathing out, water reflecting

Space to be Free

Breathing in, I feel space inside of me and around me
Breathing out, I am free