Trauma-Informed Mindfulness
A Gentle Path of Healing and Return to Wholeness
At Deer Park Monastery, we walk gently with the understanding that suffering is part of the human experience, and that healing is possible in the present moment. In the tradition of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, we practice mindfulness not as an escape, but as a path of deep reconnection—with our breath, our body, our ancestors, and the Earth.
What is Trauma-Informed Mindfulness?
Trauma-informed mindfulness recognizes that the practice of stopping and looking deeply can stir strong emotions and memories, especially for those who have experienced trauma. This approach holds space for the reality of pain while offering steady, compassionate tools to stay grounded. We do not push or strive. We come back to the breath. We return to the body, gently, like coming home.
We offer a path of mindfulness that is:
- Compassionate – honoring each person’s unique experience.
- Embodied – rooted in the body and the senses as safe places of return.
- Non-judgmental – allowing whatever arises to come and go like clouds in the sky.
- Relational – held in the energy of the sangha, where we practice and heal together.
Practices for Healing
We gently invite those walking the path of healing to explore these core practices:
Recommended Trauma-Informed Resources
To support you on your journey, we offer the following resources from Thầy and the Plum Village community:
Books by Thich Nhat Hanh
Explore Other Resources
Trauma-Informed Dharma Talks & Videos
- Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness & Plum Village Practice - Brother Phap Linh (Plum Village)
- Introduction to a Regulated Nervous System with Jo-Ann Rosen
EMBRACE Sangha
EMBRACE (Embodying Mindfulness-Based Resilience to Awaken Community Empowerment) Sangha brings a neuro-informed and trauma-sensitive lens to mindfulness as it is practiced in the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in order to support a resilient and harmonious community.
EMBRACE aims to shine a light on ways we can calm our nervous systems when we confront issues of racial, social, and intersectional equity. It leaves us with a more solid foundation from which to build a beloved community that offers true welcome and belonging.
Meet with EMBRACE Sangha and get more involved via the EMBRACE website.
Lotus Institute
The Lotus Institute was founded in 1996 by lifelong partners in both marriage and the Dharma, Drs. Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe Ward. Senior lay Dharma teachers in the Plum Village tradition, they established the Institute with the blessing and guidance of their root teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, who also officiated their wedding at Plum Village in France.
The Institute’s programs and teachings are grounded in three core pillars: healing stored trauma, experiencing beloved community, and transforming the narrative of superiority.
Explore Online Courses
From time to time we offer multi-week courses related to mindfulness, the teachings and life of Thich Nhat Hanh, and a variety of similar subjects. Please see our schedule of upcoming courses.
Plum Village App
Take the Deer Park Monastery and Plum Village community with you wherever you go. The Plum Village app is designed to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and joy through guided meditations, deep relaxations, practice poems, bells of mindfulness, and other practices — all through a mobile device.
