Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, May 4, from 7-8:30PM ET online/in person (Hybrid); Wednesday morning, May 6, from 7-8AM ET online; Thursday morning, May 7, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, May 8, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

On Monday, May 4, we will meet in person and online to practice together and to hold our sangha’s annual meeting. If you can join in person, we will have tea, snacks, and socializing from 6:30 to 6:55. If you are joining online, we will begin at 7:00. 

The OHMC sangha, or community, gathers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We gather for retreats and half-days of mindfulness. We gather for potlucks, tea, walks, and apple picking. As one of the three jewels, sangha brings us together to support each other, to grow together, and to practice Thay’s teachings. 

I am happy to have this chance to pause and consider Opening Heart as a community that we create together. My face-to-face interactions happen mostly on Monday evenings, on Northampton Street, but the sangha is with me when I consider how to help my students explore decimals, or how to talk to my daughter when she frets about the AP tests coming up, or when I take a moment to see that the sky is a glory of clouds and color. I delight in imagining the ripples we all make in the world as members of the Opening Heart community. 

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, April 27, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, April 29, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, May 1, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday, our evening meditation will be facilitated by Camille. Camille shares:

Community has always been important to me as it has given me a sense of belonging, support, and purpose, especially in moments when I have needed it most. Coming from a large family, I have always been drawn to communities,  whether that means starting new communities or joining existing communities. My work community, volunteer community, and neighborhood community are a big part of my life. All have helped shape my values, helped me grow, and made challenges easier to face. 

Being part of my sangha community has included all of that and has given me a greater sense of being understood. It reminds me that I am not navigating things alone. I feel lifted up like I truly matter. I am not just receiving in sangha, but I can show up for others as well. There is space for us to show up for each other. We inter-are, as our teacher Thay would say. Being in sangha has been about contributing, listening, and building something together that supports all of us. I value this space where folks show up with compassion and kindness.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, April 20, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, April 22, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, April 24, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

On Monday, our evening meditation will be facilitated by Annie. Annie shares:

I am so grateful for the Dharma and the ways that Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) has offered it to us. During these days of the many crises facing our country and the world (often referred to as the polycrisis), I need the support of the Dharma to help me stay grounded and make sense of it.

Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) spoke often of the insight of interbeing. He often used the metaphor of a flower to describe it:

“When we contemplate a flower like this, we see the flower is full of everything: the cloud, the sunshine, the Earth, time, space, the gardener—everything has come together to help the flower to manifest. Why do we say it is empty? It is empty of only one thing: a separate existence…”

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, April 13, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, April 15, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, April 17, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday night, Christopher and Sunil from Wake Up DC will facilitate alongside Magda. The Engaged Mindfulness Circle has invited them as a continuation of the Cartas de Paz Project with Casa de Paz Colorado—a letter-writing initiative to support individuals detained by ICE that began on April 4 and will continue on May 2. Christopher and Sunil will guide a session exploring the role of Wake Up DC through a lens of compassion and interbeing, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings and legacy. 

“The soul is healed by being with children.”

-Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Every child begins the world again.”

-Henry David Thoreau

At a recent art exhibition I participated in at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation, I noticed a little girl speaking with Mary Smith from our sangha as they stood before my illustration, The Gifts for Little Girls. The piece is intricate, filled with many elements—including twelve girls—yet the child’s attention rested on a single small figure: a girl sitting quietly beneath Bodhisattva Quan Âm, meditating and receiving a dove from Avalokiteshvara. The moment quietly filled me with hope. I found myself imagining future generations receiving an education rooted in interbeing and the Wake Up spirit—children growing up in mindfulness and deep awareness.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, April 6, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, April 8, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, April 10, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

On Monday, our evening meditation will be facilitated by Camille. Camille shares:

In these challenging times, where we want to take actions to help those who are suffering and raise awareness of inequities in the world, we also need to take time to rest. 

In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War and a time of social injustice, our teacher Thich Nhat Hanh and other activists knew they had to go out and help. In his book Creating True Peace, Thay wrote they “would become exhausted if we did these things without nurturing our spirit.” He believed that rest is essential.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, March 30, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, April 1, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, April 2, from 7-8AM ET online, and Friday, April 3, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday, our evening meditation will be facilitated by Ellen. Ellen shares:

Lately, I’ve been acutely aware of the powerful expectations I’ve created for myself for many years. This has built decades of pressureful “shoulds” that I have felt and strived to achieve but often fell short. I should look at things differently; I should be more patient and not interrupt others; I should be kinder and more compassionate… You get the picture. Just “being” has not felt enough. 

Society has created a lot of expectations for many, especially in my experience for women and moms–particularly working moms. Mindfulness has brought me an awareness of this inner dynamic that brings both peace and some relief, along with a desire to find a way to use mindfulness and my breath to let go.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, March 23, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, March 25, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, March 27, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Annie will facilitate on Monday evening. Annie shares:

This past weekend, I noticed I was behaving in a way that caused me to wonder if I might have some suppressed anger. I was surprised to hear myself telling a humorous story that showed some of the people in a quite unfavorable light. This is an old habit, one I thought I had transformed.

As soon as I sat with my feelings (after apologizing to the folks I was speaking to), I realized that the amount of terror, war, unfairness, and violence I have been taking in every day on the news had led to a buildup of anger and fear inside of me. I’ve been reaching for the news as a way to feel some sort of control over an uncontrollable world. And while we have never had control over the world, right now feels like a particularly worrisome moment for so many beings throughout the cosmos. 

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, March 16, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, March 18, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, March 20, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday night, Magda will guide us through a meditation for healing our inner child and strengthening our connection with our ancestors. She will share her insights on the topic.

Thầy’s teachings help my inner child heal. They also bring healing to my relationship with my ancestors and allow my ancestors to heal through me.

I have noticed how much of the suffering we experience as children comes from our parents and their parents. During dharma sharing with my sangha and with my Plum Village retreat families, I often hear people lamenting their relationships with one or both parents. I have also heard monastics speak about similar difficulties. Often, however, they conclude their sharing by expressing how their meditation practice has helped transform and release that suffering. For instance, when Brother Pháp Dung spoke at the Huế retreat for the pilgrims who attended Thích Nhất Hạnh’s ashes ceremony, he shared how his practice helped him heal his anger toward his father.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, March 9, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, March 11, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, March 13, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Camille will facilitate on Monday evening. Camille shares:

My mother passed away four weeks ago. She was almost 96 and had been declining for a couple of years. Although she had become sick and weak, I was still not prepared for her to pass. She was a most compassionate, beautiful, loving, and kind soul and a beloved mother, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, and friend to all.

I have been holding a lot of sadness and grief and loneliness as I miss my mother deeply, and at the same time have been generously nourished by friends, family, and sangha. I am so thankful for that. I am grateful for our teacher Thay and our practice of mindfulness, as I have found much peace, wisdom, and solace during these challenging times.

Dear Thay, dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, March 2, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, March 4, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, March 5, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, March 6, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday night, Marie will facilitate. She shares:

When it comes to my body, I have a habit energy of attending to the squeaky wheel - the part that is causing me pain and/or not working as I want it to. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with a radically different approach that Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) describes as practicing with the “non-toothache.” This is what I do:  

I generate the energy of mindfulness and then invite different parts of my body, one by one, to bask in that energy for as long as they like. Then, if it feels right, I bring compassion to that body part, and spaciousness and gratitude. I take as much time as the body part seems to need and then move on to a different part.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, February 23, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, February 25, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, February 27, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Ellen will facilitate on Monday evening. Ellen shares:

I’ve been struck by two intersecting things lately. First, I recently heard a wonderful episode of the Hidden Brain podcast (Dec. 22, 2025) about the sense of awe-how we often miss moments of awe and how we can find them. Second, I’ve been thinking about how I rarely feel a sense of happiness and joy, and how I’m likely missing out on simple, clear things around me when I’m not really present. These are troubling times for so many, when having some joy, some pleasure, and discovering something that helps us feel awe about nature, people, a pet, or something else is so critically important.

In Be Free Where You Are, Thay wrote a small piece called “Touching Miracles.” In it, he describes how many of us don’t feel that happiness is possible in the present moment, that we feel we need more and look to the future.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, February 16, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, February 18, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, February 20, 12-1PM ET online.

Marie will facilitate. She shares:

Many of us have been following and supporting the Buddhist monks Walk for Peace. For students of Thich Nhat Hanh, walking meditation is a familiar and integral part of our practice.

“We walked together—people from different cultures, traditions, faiths, and walks of life—all moving as one river of peace through our nation’s capital. This is what it looks like when we choose unity over division, love over fear, and peace over conflict. When we can bring peace to our daily lives, that is when we truly walk for peace together…

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, February 9, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, February 11, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, February 13, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Rachel H. will facilitate on Monday evening. Rachel shares:

One reason I am grateful to the monks from Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center and their walk for peace is that it creates images of peace that people can see, absorb, and share. Walking mindfully, along highways lined with people, day after day, with love in their faces, these monks make being at peace visible in a very powerful and needed way. The gift of seeing this 100+ day act of peace is profound and moving. 

That idea has been on my mind since the walk started, so I’ve had this question in the back of my mind: What does peace look like? I often think of peace as the feeling that comes when things are settled and tranquil. There are lovely, mundane examples: birds at a bird feeder, smiling at a stranger in a very nice hat on the Metro, lying down at the end of a long day, a hug, and so on. I’ve been looking. 

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, February 2, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, February 4, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, February 5, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, February 6, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday night, Marie will facilitate and we’ll make time to water the wholesome seeds in ourselves and each other.

Like many, I am suffering. In a time of great uncertainty, swimming in a 24/7 news cycle, sometimes I run away from my emotions because they feel unbearable. 

Right now, there’s a part of me that’s convinced that, if I can just read enough articles from enough legitimate sources, I’ll be better prepared to take care of my family, friends, and those in need. When I identify with that part, I keep scrolling–long past the point of gleaning useful information that would enable right action. 

At other times, I stop reading before having reached that tipping point. Instead, I notice and take care of my difficult emotions. I remember that scrolling can be a form of unmindful consumption, making me feel more isolated and emotional, even when I dress it up as being well informed. I slow down and nourish myself without feeling guilty for being in a position to do so.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, January 26, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, January 28, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, January 30, 12-1PM ET online.

Please Note: The prediction is for a snowstorm starting Sunday and extremely cold temperatures for a few days. If the weather is unsafe, we will move our Monday Sangha meeting online. Please stay tuned, and we will send an email on Monday to let you know whether we will be meeting in person or online.

Annie will facilitate with Sharon and Suzanne S. 

On Monday, after our meditation period we will again read theFive Mindfulness Trainings with a focus on the third training.

The Five Mindfulness Trainings have their root in the Five Precepts offered by the Buddha. They have been expanded and updated so that they represent a way to bring mindfulness into every area of life. 

Rather than hard and fast rules, the mindfulness trainings offer us a path to cultivate and develop actions of body, speech, and mind that can create a more healthy and compassionate world. We read them each month as a way to deepen our understanding of them and to recommit ourselves to practicing the way of understanding and love.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, January 19, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, January 21, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, January 23, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, January 9, 12-1PM ET online.

As we approach the three year anniversary of Thich Nhat Hanh’s (Thay’s) transition, we invite you to join us for an evening of reflection and gratitude.

On Monday night, we will enjoy sitting and walking meditation, and then listen to a talk by Thay about selective seed watering, a practical way to nourish our consciousness. (A brief description is below.) Then, we will enjoy sharing the ways that Thay’s presence, teachings, and/or practices have influenced our lives.

In the coming days, we invite you to reflect on these questions:

• How have Thay’s teachings nourished you?

• What practices do you turn to in times of need?

• Are there other aspects about Thay or his teachings that have had an impact on you?

If you scroll down, you’ll find our responses to some of these questions. 

Also, if you would like to bring a remembrance to share, such as a poem, song, or quote, you are most welcome.

We look forward to practicing together.
Camille & Marie

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, January 12, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, January 14, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, January 16, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Magda will facilitate on Monday evening. Magda share:

During this season, when we have just celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah, and honored the continuation days of Thich Nhất Hạnh and Martin Luther King, Jr., I would like to recognize and honor the children who have done nothing to deserve the dehumanizing treatment they continue to endure.

Under the new administration, my recurring nightmare has been children returning home from school to find a parent deported. The home, meant to offer safety, becomes a site of loss. I encountered this suffering in the case of Kilmar Abrego García, supported by CASA, an organization I aided. His sudden deportation left his wife raising two young children—one with autism, one with epilepsy. The story haunts me, reflecting a cruelty hidden behind political rhetoric: children absorbing trauma they did nothing to cause.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, January 5, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, January 7, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, January 8, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, January 9, 12-1PM ET online.

On Monday, Ellen will facilitate. Ellen shares:

As we start the new year, I’ve been focusing on breaking the tradition of making well-intentioned resolutions that I quickly forget and then feel as though I’ve failed to achieve. Instead, I have been thinking about how mindfulness helps me grow in ways that nurture the “good seeds” within us all. In particular, I’ve been thinking about “intention.”

Now, I feel a bit of tension here. Mindfulness and our practice is centered on living in the present moment and not the past or the future. For me, it’s not inconsistent to also think about being more intentional and thinking about the specific mindful “seeds” I want to cultivate in the year ahead.  get older and plan to retire in a few years from my stressful job, and as my husband retires this week, I can’t help but think about my future.

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, December 29, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, December 31, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, January 2, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

Annie and Camille will co-facilitate on Monday evening. They share:

As the year comes to a close, we will come together for a relaxing year end tea ceremony to share our gratitudes, joys, hopes, wishes, and challenges with each other.

In Plum Village and at other Thich Nhat Hanh monasteries, we often enjoy a tea ceremony. It’s not as formal as classical tea ceremonies in Japan, and it provides a lovely backdrop for us to spend time together and get to know and care for each other. It’s a lot of fun and a wonderful way to feel connected to the sangha. 

On Monday evening, we will gather and enjoy meditation as we usually do. Then we will sit in a cozy circle and enjoy some moments of silently drinking tea and eating cookies together. After a sound of the bell, we will open the floor to sharing. 

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, December 22, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, December 24, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, December 26, 12-1PM ET online.

Camille will facilitate. Camille shares:

In Plum Village, the Buddhist monastic community in France founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, there is regular singing and chanting at sangha gatherings.  At Plum Village retreat centers throughout the United States and other countries, music is often at the heart of the tradition to share the practice and warm the heart.  Like gathas, singing helps us return to the present moment and truly practice mindfulness.

In celebration of the Second Mindfulness Training (see below), True Happiness, I would like to share a Monday night facilitation I shared several years ago. It was how singing brought much joy and happiness to me, and others, particularly during times of suffering. In remembering and reflecting back on that write-up, it brought a smile to my face, and I wanted to share part of that write-up with you.