The Way Out Is In
Pathways through Busyness, Overwhelm and Burnout (Episode #34)
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Mindfully embracing overwhelm can help unpack its root cause and find freedom.
- Vulnerability is a strength that fosters personal growth, connections, and compassion.
- Finding refuge within oneself and developing a personal practice anchor inner peace and clarity in challenging times.
Deep dives
Recognizing the Importance of Self-Care
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the modern issue of business overwhelm and burnout and how Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings can help individuals find balance. They emphasize the importance of taking care of oneself and finding refuge within. By practicing mindfulness and being aware of the present moment, one can recognize and embrace the feeling of being overwhelmed. They explain that running away from this feeling is a common habit, but by mindfully breathing and embracing the overwhelm, individuals can unpack the root cause and find freedom. The hosts also highlight the significance of joy, which can be found even in simple activities like enjoying a cup of tea or taking a walk in nature.
The Power of Vulnerability
The podcast delves into the concept of vulnerability and how it can be a strength in dealing with overwhelm. They emphasize that being vulnerable means being truthful and transparent with oneself. Instead of seeing vulnerability as a weakness, the hosts encourage listeners to embrace it and recognize that it can open doors for personal growth and deeper understanding. They discuss how vulnerability creates community and fosters connections with others, allowing for support and healing. By being present with one's own vulnerability, individuals can also learn to be present for others and offer compassion and understanding.
Finding Refuge Within Ourselves
The episode explores the concept of finding refuge within oneself and the importance of developing a personal practice. The hosts discuss the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, emphasizing the practice of mindfulness, mindful breathing, and deep belly breathing as anchors for finding inner peace. They provide examples of how Thich Nhat Hanh himself utilized these practices during challenging times in his life. The hosts also highlight the strength and clarity that can arise from finding refuge within oneself, recognizing that everything is impermanent and that overwhelming feelings will eventually change.
The Supportive Role of Community
The episode emphasizes the power of community in dealing with overwhelm. The hosts discuss how individuals often feel overwhelmed when they believe they have to face challenges alone. They highlight the importance of recognizing that we are not alone and that a sense of community can provide support. They share examples from the Climate Leaders retreat, where individuals initially came as individuals but left as a community. The hosts emphasize the value of connection, listening, vulnerability, and shared experiences within a community. They recognize that being part of a community can naturally alleviate overwhelm and foster a sense of support and understanding.
Embracing Impermanence and Slowing Down
The podcast episode explores the Buddhist concept of impermanence and its relevance in dealing with overwhelm. The hosts discuss the need to recognize that overwhelming feelings are impermanent and that everything in life is subject to change. They encourage individuals to slow down, quiet the mind, and become more present. By doing so, individuals can experience clarity, insight, and joy. The hosts highlight the importance of returning to simple practices like mindful breathing and meditation to cultivate a sense of calm and to embrace the wisdom of impermanence.
Welcome to episode 34 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.
This time, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino, talk about the modern diseases of busyness, overwhelm, and burnout, and how Zen Buddhist practices and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings can help us regain our balance.
Brother Phap Huu shares his thoughts on busyness in a monastic environment; coming home to ourselves and learning to stop in the midst of crises; the four elements (the practice, the study, the service, the joy); the noble silence practice in a retreat, and becoming one with the silence; learning to stop and listen to ourselves; the practice of deep belly breathing; impermanence. And do you know how the Zen Master himself would face up and deal with overwhelm?
Jo shares his thoughts on the Climate Leaders retreat and makes a case for an “age of community.” He further reflects on allowing vulnerability in our overwhelm and busyness; compassion for ourselves; selfishness and selflessness; simplicity in the practice; guilt.
The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu.
Co-produced by the Plum Village App:
https://plumvillage.app/
And Global Optimism:
https://globaloptimism.com/
With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:
https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/
List of resources
‘Wake Up Humanity 2022’ retreat
https://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/international-wake-up-retreat-2022/
Plum Village Retreats Calendar
https://plumvillage.org/retreats/retreats-calendar/
Five Skandhas
https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Five_skandhas
Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Skandhas of Grasping and Non-Self’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-skandhas-of-grasping-and-non-self%e2%80%8b-dharma-talk-by-br-phap-lai-2018-06-08/
Songs: ‘The 16 Exercises of Mindful Breathing’
https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/the-16-exercises-of-mindful-breathing/
‘Connecting to Our Root Teacher, the Buddha’
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/connecting-to-our-root-teacher-a-letter-from-thay-27-sept-2014/
Thay’s Poetry: ‘Please Call Me by My True Names’ (song & poem)
https://plumvillage.org/articles/please-call-me-by-my-true-names-song-poem/
‘The Toadskin Hut and Paths of Legend’
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/the-toadskin-hut-and-paths-of-legend/
Quotes
“Mindfulness means to be aware of what is happening in the here and now. And when we associate to this practice, a lot of the habits that we have as a practitioner, especially practitioners, we want to feel the good sensation more than the negative. But here, in the spirit of Buddhism, the teachings of the Buddha, when we speak about mindfulness, it is to embrace everything that is happening.”
“A lot of monks in this time, and generations before us, have Zen gardens. They have gardens that they would take care of because that is also a way of directing energy, so overwhelming is an energy. So our practice is learning to identify the energy and directing that energy so that it can bring us back to balance.”
“What I think is core to Buddhist practice is that we can only be useful in the world if we’re in balance ourselves. And it’s not selfish to look after yourself, it’s actually selfless because it’s only when our bowl is full and overflowing that we’re able to naturally give to other people. And when our bowl is empty, actually we’ve got nothing to give.”
“When you come to our practice in the retreats, this is the first thing we teach everyone: learning to stop. That’s why these bells in the monastery are so important. We have this aspiration to stop, but our habit, our ancestral habit, our habit from society is so strong in us that we feel like we have to do something.”
“Learn to listen to yourself.”
“Don’t wait for life to be difficult to start practising, but learn to practise in the good times so that when a difficult time comes, we’ve already built that into our system. Because a lot of people think, ‘Oh, well, life is fine. Why do I need to be mindful? Why do I do this? Because everything’s good.’ But it’s when we have space in the good times to focus and to understand how our mind works, how our body works, how we can reflect on ourselves, that in the moments where things get very tough and we lose that space, that we already know how to act. And I think a lot of people feel that they can just do this when times are bad.”
“Coming home to oneself is the beginning of transformation, because when we have the capacity to come home, that’s when we can work on oneself.”
“We want to create sustainability outside, but we have to create sustainability inside also.”
“When you come home to yourself, this is transformation at the base.”
“An important aspect of dealing with overwhelm is to be vulnerable with it, because often we feel that to cope we have to close down, and we have to protect ourselves. Whereas, more than often, the truth is we open up, we share, we are present, we show our weaknesses, we show our scars. And that gives other people permission to do the same.”
“I think so much of dealing with overwhelm, dealing with busyness is to be vulnerable in it. Because if we all feel alone and none of us are sharing about it, then all we’re doing is exacerbating it. We’re not letting anyone offer their support. No one can offer their care because we’ve closed the door.”
“Man is not our enemy. It is ignorance.”
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