Shadowing Practice: Only an Emotion | Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
41 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Mindfulness helps us to recognize the pain.
2
The pain can be a physical pain or a mental pain.
3
And our practice is not to exaggerate,
4
because to meditate is to look deeply and to recognize things as they are.
5
The Buddha spoke about the second arrow.
6
When we learn the art of taking care of the pain,
7
handle the pain inside, we should know the teaching about the second arrow.
8
When someone gets an arrow, there is the pain in his body.
9
But if a second arrow comes and hits exactly at the same spot, and then the pain is not only double,
10
it can be ten times stronger.
11
when you have a painful feeling whether that painful feeling comes from the body or comes from your perception
12
you should recognize it as it is and not exaggerate
13
you should not amplify the pain with your fear or anger or imagination wrong perceptions.
14
Because the fear, the anger makes the pain in you multiply by ten times at least.
15
You imagine that you are going to die very soon.
16
You imagine that you cannot stand that kind of fear and anger.
17
Maybe you will die.
18
So that is the kind of amplification that we should avoid, the second arrow.
19
If it is a minor physical pain, we know that it is only a minor physical pain.
20
If it is a feeling of anger born from some wrong perception,
21
we should know that that it is a feeling of anger born from some wrong perceptions.
22
If it is a strong emotion we should know that this is only an emotion.
23
And you are much more than an emotion.
24
When you are overwhelmed by a painful emotion
25
you think that you are only that emotion but in fact you are much more than an emotion you are form,
26
feeling, perceptions, mental formation and consciousness and the territory is large and your emotion is just a small thing
27
an emotion is something that comes stays for a while and finally it has to go like a storm.
28
Why do we have to die because of an emotion?
29
And that kind of insight is very crucial.
30
We have to practice.
31
We have to see the emotion as only an emotion.
32
And we have to learn how to handle that emotion.
33
We are not afraid.
34
when the emotion comes, we should go back to our breathing.
35
It should relax our body.
36
We should get inside that this is only an emotion,
37
and I am capable of taking care of it by the practice of mindful breathing and embracing my emotion.
38
And if we know how to handle the emotion, we will be able to help our children, the young people to do the same.
39
Breathing in, I know this is only...
40
One emotion.
41
Thank you.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B21
Not Having a Toothache | Sister Tue Nghiem | Plum Village App #Shorts
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Learn to Live Alone and Nourish Your Relationships | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C12
How to Generate Joy | Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Coffee or Tea Meditation | Brother Phap Linh (audio)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
Being Your Best Friend | Short Talk by Sister Dang Nghiem | #mindfulness
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
Life Is Here and Now | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh | #mindfulness
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Uncomfortable Feelings | Brother Phap Linh | Plum Village App #Shorts
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C15
The Kingdom of God is Now | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh | #mindfulness
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C15
Living Happily in the Present Moment | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts #mindfulness
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
Walking on the Most Beautiful Planet | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts #mindfulness
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C16
Getting Out of the Prison of Past and Future | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts #mindfulness
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B15
How to Use Guided Meditation | Sister Peace (audio)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C14
Go Back to Your Breahing, Transform Your Anger | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts #plumvillageapp
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
Realizing Nirvana | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh | #mindfulness
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B25
That Non-stop Thinking Radio in Our Head | Thich Nhat Hanh | #shorts #mindfulness
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B29
Embracing the Pain | Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C110
BREATHE. In, Out. Deep, Slow. | Teaching by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B236
What do you really want? | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh | #mindfulness
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A22
Calm - Ease | Guided Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B24
Practicing Non Fear | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B114
10 sentences
Painful Emotions | You Have To See This!!
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
271 sentences
Secret to a Stress-Free Mind (Lao Tzu + Psychology)
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
241 sentences
How to Detach So Fast It Feels Kinda Scary
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C13
162 sentences
How to Build Mental Toughness | English Podcast for Learning, Shadowing & Life Growth
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C113
69 sentences
Buddhist Wisdom For Inner Peace
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
132 sentences
Sam Harris basically breaks down the secret to life (again)
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B217
24 sentences
Meditations: The Obstacle Is the Way
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
54 sentences
Practice: Being the Buddha of Murderous Rage
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B27
121 sentences
Why Pulling Away from What Is Hard Always Makes It Worse | Pema Chödrön
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
40 sentences
Put Thought in its Right Place
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Only an Emotion”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: emotion, pain, arrow, perception, anger. This video has 41 sentences and 470 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:23. The speaker talks slowly, about 87 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| anger noun | /ˈæŋɡə/ | A strong and unpleasant feeling of displeasure, hostility, or antagonism, usually combined with an urge to yell, curse, damage or destroy things, or harm… |
| perception noun | /pɚˈsɛpʃ(ə)n/ | The organisation, identification and interpretation of sensory information. |
| arrow noun | /ˈæɹəʊ/ | A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow. |
| painful adjective | /ˈpeɪn.fl̩/ | Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| deeply adverb | /ˈdi(ː)pli/ | To a deep extent or degree; very greatly. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| crucial adjective | /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ | Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important; vital. |
| imagination noun | /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/ | The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images. |
| insight noun | /ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/ | A sight or view of the interior of anything; a deep inspection or view; introspection; frequently used with into. |
| embrace verb | /ɛmˈbɹes/ | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. |
| consciousness noun | /ˈkɑnʃəsnəs/ | The state of being conscious or aware; awareness. |
| exaggerate verb | /ɛɡˈzæd͡ʒ.ə.ɹeɪt/ | To overstate, to describe more than the fact. |
| amplification noun | /ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | The act, or result of amplifying, enlarging, extending or adding. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, perception /pɚˈsɛpʃ(ə)n/, crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, imagination /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/, consciousness /ˈkɑnʃəsnəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: imagination /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/, exaggerate /ɛɡˈzæd͡ʒ.ə.ɹeɪt/, amplification /ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like emotion, anger, perception.
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.