ABA Journal The digital English academy
Xin chào!
(that’s “Hello” in Vietnamese).
Every month we review and recommend a great book for you to practice reading in English. The language in these books is not very literary, but they do require a certain level of understanding.
Today’s book review is The Miracle of Mindfulness, by author Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist. He has written many, many books but one of his most popular is The Miracle of Mindfulness.
| Reading Level | Intermediate |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Length (pages) | 140 |
| Original Date of Publishing | 1999 |
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This book is all about how to learn the skills of mindfulness – being awake and fully aware. There are lovely anecdotes and practical exercises to practice at all times, from washing the dishes to answering the phone.
Thích Nhất Hạnh tells us:
“Half-smile when you first wake up in the morning. Hang a branch, any other sign, or even the word “smile” on the ceiling or wall so that you see it right away when you open your eyes. This sign will serve as your reminder. Use these seconds before you get out of bed to take hold of your breath. Inhale and exhale three breaths gently while maintaining the half smile. Follow your breaths.”
This book is about how to take hold of your consciousness and keep it alive to the present reality. A world-renowned Zen master, Nhat Hanh weaves practical instruction with stories to show how the meditative mind can be achieved at all times and how it can help us all “reveal and heal.”
With the simple exercises he explains in the book we can become more peaceful, happy and focused in our lives. The language is straightforward and an English students of Intermediate level could understand it with the help of a dictionary. We highly recommend it!
Vocabulary
Mindfulness – a state of awareness.
Awake – to stop sleeping : to wake up.
Fully – in every way or detail : completely or entirely.
Aware – feeling, experiencing, or noticing something (such as a sound, sensation, or emotion).
Half-smile – a small smile.
Branch – a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk.
Reminder – something that causes you to remember or to think about something.
Inhale – to breathe in.
Exhale – to breathe out.
Consciousness – the condition of being conscious : the normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you.
Weaves – to create something (such as a story) by combining different things in usually a complicated way.
Straightforward – easy to do or understand : not complicated.
Book
To read more reviews and find out where to buy this book, if you think you’d enjoy reading it, visit Goodreads.
Do you have a special book you would recommend to your friends? Let us know!
