Nadia Chapman shares how her inner practice nourishes her connection to community.
By Nadia Chapman on
Breathing in, I surrender to this moment. Breathing out, this moment is all I have.
The Plum Village tradition found me when I was experiencing the breakdown of a long-term relationship. I had been familiar with Thích Nhất Hạnh and his teachings since 2019,
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Nadia Chapman shares how her inner practice nourishes her connection to community.
By Nadia Chapman on
Breathing in, I surrender to this moment. Breathing out, this moment is all I have.
The Plum Village tradition found me when I was experiencing the breakdown of a long-term relationship. I had been familiar with Thích Nhất Hạnh and his teachings since 2019, when frequent moments of misery drew me closer to the spiritual path. But the seed of suffering was so strong in me that any mindfulness practice I picked up was left by the wayside for a life full of distress. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom and officially entered a mental health crisis that I realized there was no other place I could go but within.
The only way out is in.
The only way through is to not leave at all.
I’ve gently practiced mindfulness over the past year while working my way through the crushing weight of loss, and I noticed something profound: I discovered my inherent need to be surrounded by community. There is nothing that has helped me build community connections more than being mindful, leading with compassion, and arriving in the present moment—all of which have sustained my mindfulness practice.
My practice quietly guided me to water the seed of compassion in myself. This seed had always lived longingly within me, but was often replaced with anger, as it became abundantly clear that I lived a life full of deep suffering.
Over the past month, I have been volunteering for a charity organisation that serves the unhoused community and others in need. I live in what’s known as ‘The Sunshine State’ in Australia, and while I am grateful to live in such a beautiful and safe country, the seed of suffering is constantly being watered in my community. The housing crisis is very prevalent here and many people have found themselves without housing, including families and women and children fleeing domestic violence.
I currently help the donation team make hampers and day packs for the organisation’s outreach program. During my first volunteering shift, I observed a deep sense of appreciation radiate from within me—a full circle moment that truly resonated with me, as my family used to rely on hampers every so often when I was growing up in poverty. Building community in such a divisive time is by no means an easy task. But I truly believe that by connecting to the core of who we are through mindfulness, we have the opportunity to metamorphose into what we want to see in the world. Being able to help in any small way is incredibly meaningful to me.
My practice has helped me return home to myself and continues to remind me that the seed of compassion is within all of us. It just needs to be nurtured through meaningful action; even if that action is simply acknowledging the power of the present moment.
However, the biggest insight I have been gifted since finding my practice is the acceptance of impermanence. Nothing has motivated me more than the knowledge that everything is impermanent and ever-changing. We are born and then we die. Reminding myself of impermanence has helped me overcome fear and connect with others without judgement.
Before my consistent mindfulness practice, I lived in fear of judgement from others; fear of what others thought of me stopped me from seeking new connections and bonding with community. I later realised that I never actually knew what anyone was thinking of me, and it was a projection I was putting on other people. Being able to release that judgement allowed me to connect authentically with my community, no matter the anxieties that may be present within me.
Suffering can rob us of the present moment. My practice within the Plum Village tradition reminds me that as human beings, we all suffer and experience joy. This in itself is a commonality I can be grateful for. There is no good or bad in the nuances of the human experience. It just is.
Everyone can be transformed by their experiences. Above all, my practice has helped me expand my capacity for accepting what is.
Where will this acceptance take you?
