Whispering Wyrd

I’m currently reading The Energy of Prayer by Thich Nhat Hanh. Like his other books, it’s thoughtful and gentle. But this one, in particular, has landed deeply for me.

What resonates most is the way he speaks about spirituality without dogma. It’s not about what you’re supposed to believe, but about how you live, breathe, and relate to the world around you. At times he even seems to view the world through an animist lens as I do. When he speaks of a pine tree as “real,” or even of speaking your thoughts to it, I understand exactly what he means. Nothing exists in isolation. Nothing arises on its own. These aren’t abstract ideas for me, they’ve shaped how I move through my life and how I heal.

I’ve written before about the heart palpitations that developed during my withdrawal from benzodiazepines, and the fear they bring with them. What I’m slowly understanding is how tightly my emotional state is tied to them. Anxiety leads to palpitations, palpitations lead to fear, and fear feeds the anxiety right back again. It’s a vicious cycle. A loop. When your heart is skipping every second or third beat for fifteen or twenty minutes or longer, “just staying calm” isn’t exactly simple.

This is where Hanh’s words help me in a very real way.

He was a man who knew hardship deeply, yet lived with remarkable steadiness and compassion. Through his writing and Dharma talks, he continues to help people long after his passing. His words don’t just comfort me spiritually, they calm my body. They ground me. They slow my breath to a natural rhythm.

During protracted withdrawal symptoms, my breathing has become shallow, almost without my noticing. Anxiety makes it worse. Trying to force myself to breathe deeply never works. The body knows when it’s being lied to. But reading Hanh’s words brings a calm that’s genuine. My breathing returns on its own. Nothing is forced. The calm is real, and the body recognizes it as real.

For me, spirituality isn’t optional. It’s not a hobby or an abstract interest, it’s woven into my healing and my survival. It’s woven into my very being. And what I appreciate most about this book is that it doesn’t require anyone to change their beliefs, or even have beliefs at all. Hanh had deep respect for all traditions, and that respect is present on every page.

Regardless of your beliefs, or lack thereof, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

When I am calm
I remember that I am held.
In peace I remember I am worthy,
that I am not “beyond help”.
In love I remember that
I too am loved.

~Buck