By Thich Nhat Hanh When you practice hugging meditation, before you hug someone, you breathe in, bow to him or her with respect, and say to yourself, "A lotus for you." If you have never seen a lotus, you can say, "A magnolia for you." Or if you are from Holland, you may want to say, "A tulip for you." All flowers are beautiful.

Hugging meditation is a practice of awareness. We make ourselves present. Often we are not really present with our children or our loved ones. We get caught up in other things, like our job or the news on TV. Hugging is to return to ourselves, to become present, totally available for another person. "I am entirely here for you." If you hug someone without that spirit, the hugging is only a ritual, with no content. But if you are mindful and make yourself present, your hugging will have a deep power of healing and transforming--not only for the other person, but for yourself as well. Therefore, it is important to breathe in and out and bow before you hug. That is a real opportunity to return to yourself, to make yourself entirely present.

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Upon Request group walking meditation

Hugging Tree Meditation

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