Day 27 · Q1: Self-Knowledge · January 27, 2026
Pause. Breathe. Begin.
I . L E C T I O
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Miracle of Mindfulness, 1975
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
C O N T E X T
Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master, wrote this during the Vietnam War as a manual for activists. His insight is devastatingly simple: you cannot stop feelings, but you can stop being swept away by them — through the act of breathing.
I I . M E D I T A T I O
“When was the last time you used your breath as an anchor during emotional turmoil?”
I I I . S C R I P T I O
Write one sentence about what it feels like when you pause and take three conscious breaths.
I V . C O N N E X I O
Thich Nhat Hanh offers the most physical practice we've encountered. Spinoza observed emotions; Epictetus judged them; and now breathing anchors them. Which approach serves you best?
This practice exists because of readers like you.
Sustain it →Tomorrow's passage, delivered at dawn.