Books published by Parallax Press

The book is a memoir of how a skeptical, fast-talking New Yorker became Thich Nhat Hanh's editor, turned forty, realized she was aging, and slowly and reluctantly started to absorb mindfulness practice and grow up. Scenes with Thich Nhat Hanh and the authors two vividly exuberant older parents, illustrate how the author adapts mindfulness techniques for the busyness of her life, without losing her edge. With honest and vivid stories about dealing with difficult relationships with family members, death, illness, vanity, exhaustion, and creating a safety net of joy, the author explores and offers guidance for three key mindfulness practices: Knowing When You're Available and When You're Not; Full-Attachment Living; and Interbeing (Other People are Not a Hobby).This book is designed for adults who are new to mindfulness practice, Buddhism, curious skeptics, people familiar with the practice who want a personal story, and those interested in memoir.

The Sun My Heart is one of Thich Nhat Hanhs most beloved books. It was written as a sequel to Miracle of Mindfulness and contains the journey, on the path of everyday practice, from mindfulness to insight in an informational, conversational manner. Using the objects and events of everyday life in his hermitage in Plum Villagethe gradual settling of the pulp in a glass of apple juice or the wind blowing into the room and scattering papers aboutThich Nhat Hanh draws from Buddhist psychology, epistemology, and the world of contemporary literature and science to guide the reader along the path of clarity and understanding.This book can be read straight through, but is also designed to be opened randomly and experienced chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests in the Introduction that The Sun My Heart "e;prefers to be a friend rather than a book. You can take it with you on the bus or subway as you do your coat or your scarf. It can give you small moments of joy at any time."e;

Written in the non-traditional, humorous, and slightly irreverent tone of books like Sit Down and Shut Up, and Dharma Punxs, Wonderlandis a highly original riff on Alice in Wonderland, using the classic story as a jumping off point for conveying the Zen concept of One Mind. Daniel Silberbergs first book is a unique contribution to contemporary American Zen, which honors its historic roots and yet strikes out into fresh areas. It presents a lively mix of tone and quotation and levels of discourse, from citing Timeless Spring or the Diamond Sutra to Kill Bill and ketchup. With stories from his own life as well as from the larger cultural swirl around him, Daniel Silberberg reflects on the differences between how we perceive the world around us and the way it actually is. Daniel Silberbergs take on a variety of Buddhist ideas and concepts are immediately useful and relevant. The reader will find that it addresses directly some of the issues they are dealing with in their own practice.The authors insights and experiences come from his experience leading a large Zen community and from his almost thirty years of Zen Training in the lineage of the highly revered teachers Genpo Roshi and Maezumi Roshi.

A Handful of Quiet presents one of the best known and most innovative meditation practices developed by Thich Nhat Hanh as part of the Plum Village community's practice with children. Pebble meditation is a playful and fun activity that parents and educators can do with their children to introduce them to meditation. It is designed to involve children in a hands-on and creative way that touches on their interconnection with nature. Practicing pebble meditation can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions. A Handful of Quiet is a concrete activity that parents and educators can introduce to children in school settings, in their local communities or at home, in a way that is meaningful and inviting. Any adult wishing to plant seeds of peace, relaxation, and awareness in children will find this unique meditationguide helpful. Children can also enjoy doing pebble meditation on their own.Beautiful color illustrations by Wietske Vriezen, illustrator of Planting Seeds (ISBN-13: 978-1-935209-80-5) and Mindful Movements (978-1-888375-79-4).

Find peace and calm amid the busyness of your life with this new book by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Designed to be both inspiration and guidebook for those new to mindfulness practice, Making Space offers easy-to-follow instructions for setting up a breathing room, listening to a bell, sitting, breathing, and walking meditations, and cooking and eating a meal in mindfulness. Whether you live alone or with a family, this beautifully illustrated book can help you create a sense of retreat and sanctuary at home.

The teachings contained in this The Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness are fundamental to the practice of mediation, and constitute the foundation of all mindfulness practice.The Sutra has been studied, practiced and handed down with special care from generation to generation for 2,500 years. In his commentaries Thich Nhat Hanh guides the reader to an understanding of the fundamental basis of the Buddhist practice and encourages application in daily life.It describes the four methods of mindfulness: mindfulness of the body, the feelings, the mind, and the object of mind. It teaches how to deal with anger and jealousy, to nurture the best qualities in our children, spouse, and friends, and to greet death with compassion and equanimity.Three versions of the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness are presented here, along with Thich Nhat Hanh's insightful commentary and twenty-three exercises-or contemplations-to aid in the practice of mindfulness in daily life.Thich Nhat Hanh's presentation of the sutra is easy to follow making it accessible for novice Buddhist as well as more advanced practitioners. It gives you the basics of breathing and how to use your breathing for meditation and contemplation.With a new introduction by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Zen teacher Glen Schneider has developed a series of simple practices to help us cultivate happiness and fulfillment in the course of our daily lives. Happiness is far more than a positive feeling that comes and goes, happiness is wired into the physiology of our brains. It is a skill we can all develop through cultivating mindfulness and concentration. In Ten Breaths to Happiness Schneider presents a series of simple practices and guided meditations that allow you to literally rewire your neural pathways to experience deeper and more lasting fulfillment and peace.Studies in neuroscience show that it takes about thirty seconds to build a new neural-pathway. Schneider takes these findings and combines them with mindfulness practices based on the teachings of Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. For example, he encourages us to take ten conscious breaths whenever we encounter something beautiful or have a meaningful experience. Consistently exercising this simple practice creates an opportunity for the brain to move from its default reaction of protection to one of appreciation and spaciousness.In ten short chapters, Schneider discusses the nature of happiness and its role in our evolution. He shows how our brains can make us happy or create suffering, and he introduces simple, proven techniques that will shape our brains over time to experience more joy and be more fulfilled in everyday life.Written for adults new to meditation as well as those with previous meditation experience, Ten Breaths to Happiness is a practical, highly accessible book that not only brings us up-to-date with the latest developments in neuroscience but offers simple exercises that can be done anywhere, any time, to help 'rewire our brains' and maximize our potential.

Technology can help us with some of our most difficult work. It can also offer us endless distractions. Can technology help us, as individuals and communities, in our most important task, that of being a good person?Jon Mitchell sets out to identify and explore the ways in which we can develop a more thoughtful relationship with technology. Rather than only using our technological devices as a medium for connecting with the world, he recommends we rethink our relationship with technology, and see it as a resource that allows us to have a more intimate and personal relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Mitchell offers concrete practices for streamlining and improving the way we use technology in our daily lives.Writing in a relatable, conversational, easy-to-read style, Mitchell draws on his years of experience as a tech journalist and mindfulness practitioner to propose a rethinking of both the design of technology and its use.

Thich Nhat Hanh's central teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Its only way to truly develop peace, both in one's self and in the world. Now, for the first time, all of Thich Nhat Hanhs key practices are collected in one accessible and easy-to-use volume. Happiness is structured to introduce those new to Buddhist teachings as well as for more experienced practitioners, Happiness is the quintessential resource of mindfulness practices. Integrating these practices into daily life allows the reader to begin to cultivate peace and joy within him/herself, leading to solidity and freedom from fear, misunderstanding, and suffering. With the practices offered in Happiness Thich Nhat Hanh encourages the reader to learn to do all the things they do in daily life with mindfulness; to walk, sit, work, eat, and drive, with full awareness of what they are doing. It can bring about a shift towards one of the principles of engaged Buddhism, a shift towards practicing mindfulness in every moment of the day and not just while formally meditating.Thich Nhat Hanh encourages his readers to "e;try to be intelligent and skillful in their practice, approaching every aspect of the practice with curiosity and a sense of search. Its important to practice with understanding and not just for the form and appearance. Enjoy your practice with a relaxed and gentle attitude, with an open mind and receptive heart."e;

Over the years, Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community in Plum Village, have developed more and more ways to integrate mindfulness practices into every aspect of their daily life. A few years back Thich Nhat Hanh began to develop gentle exercises based on Yoga and Tai Chi movements. Initially designed as mindful stretching breaks between long periods of sitting meditation, Mindful Movements became a popular tool to complement to sitting meditation extending Thich Nhat Hanh's trademark gentle approach to Buddhist teachings into a series of physical movements. These movements enjoy a growing popularity amongst his students and have become integral part of his retreats. These simple and effective practices are meant to reduce stress and tension to help the practitioner gain the serenity he needs to return to a state of mindfulness. When done as part of a full mediation practice, theses movements can address mental, emotional, and physical stress.Offered to the general public for the first time, the Mindful Movements have been lovingly illustrated by one of Thich Nhat Hanh's long-time practitioner, Wietske Vriezen. Drawn in a whimsical and immediately appealing style the booklet presents 10 routines that can be practiced by people of all ages and body types whether they are already familiar with mindfulness practices or not. The Mindful Movements are designed to be accessible to as many people as possible. Far from being another exercise program, Mindful Movements is for all those wanting to add a gentle but physical element to their meditation practice.They can be practiced before or after sitting meditation, at home, or at work - any time you have a few minutes to refresh your body and quiet your mind. For those new to meditation they are a great, non-threatening way to get acquainted with mindfulness as a complete and multi-faceted practice. For those who already have an established sitting practice Mindful Movements will come as a welcomed addition to their practice.Includes 35 minute DVD of Thich Nhat Hanh and members of his Plum Village Sangha demonstrating Mindful Movements. With little film footage of Thich Nhat Hanh available the sequence of the enclosed DVD that feature him demonstrating these exercises will be a welcome bonus.Booklet features a foreword by Thich Nhat Hanh and Introduction by Jon Kabat-Zinn [TBC]