Shadowing Practice: BREATHE. In, Out. Deep, Slow. | Teaching by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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When you breathe in, you might use the word in.
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When you breathe in, you might use the word in.
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When you breathe out, you might use the word out,
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in order to identify your in-breath as in-breath, and out-breath as out-breath.
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Breathing in, I know I'm breathing in.
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I'm breathing out.
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I know I'm breathing out.
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Awareness of the breathing.
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We call it mindfulness of breathing.
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And breathing in may be a very joyous, pleasant practice.
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You breathe in and you are aware of your in-breath.
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And you are aware that you are alive.
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Still alive.
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Because to be still alive is a miracle.
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That is why when you breathe out, you can smile.
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So breathing in, I know I'm breathing in,
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breathing out, I know I'm breathing out.
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You just use the word in and out.
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And you enjoy your breathing.
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If you know how to breathe in and breathe out and produce mindfulness,
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just breathing in and out can be already very nourishing and healing.
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It brings a lot of joy.
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And after one, two or three minutes,
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you may like to try deep and slow.
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Breathing in, you say deep.
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Breathing out, you say slow.
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It means breathing in, I notice that my in-breath has become deeper.
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I'm breathing out, I notice that my out-breath has become slower.
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So deep, slow is the word you use in order to maintain mindfulness of breathing alive,
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be aware of our in-breath and out-breath.
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After having practiced in-out for a few moments,
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you will notice that your in-breaths have become deeper and your out-breaths also have become slower.
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And it means that the quality of your breathing has increased
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and it brings more pleasure and harmony within your body and your consciousness.
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You don't try to make it deeper or longer,
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it just becomes deeper and longer in a very natural way.
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And that is thanks to the energy of mindfulness that is in you.
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in out deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep later on you may enjoy calm
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ease breathing in I feel calm
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breathing in I calm my body breathing out I feel at ease I take everything at ease
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everything is less important than my peace my stability in the present moment
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calm ease and if we practice accordingly to that spirit,
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the pleasure will always increase.
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Calming, easing.
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And then, smile, release.
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Breathing in, I smile.
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now I let go of my worries.
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We might have things in us that upset us.
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And because of that, we cannot be free and happy.
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But we know that whatever that is,
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it is not as important as my peace.
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in the here and the now.
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So, breathe in and you say, smile.
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Breathe in and I smile.
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This is a wonderful smile.
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This is a smile of challenge.
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You know, nothing is as important as your peace and stability in the here and the now.
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So that smile is very powerful.
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Smile.
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You smile at all these afflictions that always want to come and assail you.
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You smile at them.
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You don't have to fight.
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You just smile at them.
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Smile and release.
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And then the last exercise is very pleasant to practice.
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Yes, present moment, wonderful moment.
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There are many reasons why the present moment can be a wonderful moment.
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Because the present moment is the only moment available to us to live.
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Because the past is already gone,
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the future is not yet there,
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there is only one moment for you to live,
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that is the present moment.
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As you are sitting there,
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mindfully, you down in the present moment,
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and you become fully alive.
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And you know that life is there inside of you and around you.
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To be alive is a miracle.
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That is why breathing in,
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I established myself in the present moment.
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I know that this is a wonderful moment.
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According to the Buddha's teaching,
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you have to make the pleasant moment into the most wonderful moment of your life.
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And we have ways of doing so.
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In our deep, slow, calm,
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ease, smile, release Present moment,
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wonderful moment If you don't remember every word And then in our deep,
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slow Would be enough for the first day In our deep,
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slow it can already bring you a lot of happiness.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh offers a unique opportunity for English speaking practice that focuses on mindfulness and breathing techniques. By following along, you can improve not only your language skills but also your mental awareness. When you engage in this practice, you actively participate in the calming and nourishing effects of deep breathing while simultaneously enhancing your vocabulary and pronunciation in English. Utilizing the shadowing technique with this video allows you to mimic the speaker's cadence, which can be especially beneficial for internalizing language rhythms and phrasing. Make your learning experience enjoyable by pausing the video to repeat after Master Thich Nhat Hanh, allowing you to learn English with YouTube effectively.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Several key structures appear throughout the video. Analyzing these will deepen your understanding and ability to express similar thoughts in English:

  • "I know I'm breathing in." / "I know I'm breathing out." - This structure emphasizes self-awareness and is useful for expressing feelings or actions related to your experiences.
  • "Breathing in, I feel calm." / "Breathing out, I feel at ease." - These phrases demonstrate the construction of complex sentences where the action and emotional state are interconnected.
  • "I let go of my worries." - This expression is a great example of a phrasal verb; learning to use let go in different contexts can enhance your conversational skills.
  • "Everything is less important than my peace." - This demonstrates a comparative structure, allowing you to practice discussing priorities and values effectively.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with this video, pay close attention to the following pronunciation challenges:

  • "Breathing" - Ensure to articulate the 'th' sound clearly, which can be tricky for non-native speakers.
  • "Calm" - The silent ‘l’ in this word can lead to mispronunciation; practice saying it without the ‘l’ sound.
  • "Ease" - Some might confuse this with similar words, so focus on the long 'ee' sound when pronouncing it.

By practicing these sounds and phrases through shadow speech—mimicking the speaker immediately after hearing them—you can improve your pronunciation and fluency significantly. This specific practice not only aids in speaking but also boosts your listening skills, making your English speaking practice more holistic.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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