Finding Peace- Week 4
“Peace is a muscle that needs to be exercised.”
— Jay Shetty
Week 4
Jay Shetty reminds us that a state of peace is an ongoing practice. Over the past four weeks, I have offered several practices that will enhance our ability to find peace in everyday life. We often see pictures of people in beautiful nature scenes, mountains, lakes, and beaches and we feel the serenity of those venues. We might even think, if I was there, it would be easy to be in a constant state of peace. Most of us do not have a gorgeous vista outside our door to evoke the feeling of peace. We are reminded here, that although nature and outside resources may augment the state of peace, it all starts and ends with us.
This week is about the art of self-reflection and writing about our personal state of peace experience. Paying attention when we have even a few moments of serenity. What if we could later deliberately attempt to bring back that feeling, that flow of peace, perhaps by writing a few words about the experience? Then the next time we are faced with a situation we think is troubling, we can return to our own words about how we felt in that practice of peace. Recreating the peaceful flow.
Week 3
A quick fix. It seems our society is addicted to this concept. If you pay attention this week you will notice how many times you hear this phrase or something near it, such as instantly, immediately, fast, express, swiftly. We want it NOW. Whoever can deliver it the quickest gets the sale.
Is it the same with peace? If we just breath slowly, walk slowly will we be filled with inner serenity? The answer is maybe. I believe as we walk the path to inner peace, it becomes a part of us. Yet we cannot expect an immediate change. Life keeps throwing obstacles or challenges at us. Just as the Dalai Lama said in the quote above, keep your own peace no matter what others do or say, this belongs to you. Peace is a way of living and being that needs to be cultivated. Just as you consistently water and care for your garden, with patience, knowing that the plants will bloom in their own time. Peace is like caring for your garden, a practice in patience and cultivation.
How can you enhance the practice of inner peace this week? Continue the breathing and mindful walking or moving techniques. Try adding a statement about your own peace. For example, “I will practice finding peace in my day.” Or any other statement that works for you. Place the words somewhere that you see throughout your day. A gentle reminder that peace is always available for us.
Week 2
I am noticing in my daily interactions and classes that finding Peace does not come easy. As I search for methods to ease the transition to a more present life, these questions arise. Is it because, although we say we want a more peaceful life, we still tightly grip onto our old patterns? It is our nature to take comfort in the way we are, the way we react, the way we worry, the way we ruminate.
Can we open the space of our own awareness to view ourselves differently? Peace can be found in this very moment. Let’s try something right now. Last week we focused on our breath to be present. This week we will focus on the body to find present moment awareness, and maybe a moment of peace.
Start by standing up, (this can also be done sitting) grounding through the feet and noticing the body. Bring your attention to where your body feels good, strong, and healthy. Normally we are drawn to our aches and pains. Deliberately switch your focus, consciously making a choice. If standing, start to slowly walk, sensing each foot as it is contacting the floor. If sitting, try a slow circling movement at the waist, noting the right side, the back, the left side, and front. Repeat in the other direction. Moving only as much as is comfortable practicing non-striving. Trusting that our bodies can lead us to a more peaceful existence when we change our focus to being present.
This is a process and a practice that is ongoing, not a quick fix. It involves patience to note that the body lives in the now. It is our mind that lives in the past and future. Try it several times during your day.
Week 1
"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances."
Mahatma Gandhi
The focus for the month of December, will be finding peace. The idea of seeking peace begins inside us, looking inside yourself. When peace eludes us, it may be that we are in a state of reaction. We allow people, places, things, and events to interrupt our inner thoughts and actions. They can sabotage our quest to stay grounded and feel an internal sense of well-being. When this happens, we are in a state of object referral. In this state of object referral, we are reactive to what happens in our life. We allow everything else to guide us instead of the true guide, ourselves. So, the question becomes how do we break out of this cycle? The first step is to recognize when this happens. What or who are our triggers?
The next time you feel a strong emotional reaction, PAUSE. Observe your internal self, and how you are allowing the object referral to take over. Become a witness to yourself. Then take a four-count inhale through the nose, and slowly exhale through the nose six to eight counts. Begin the process to self-referral and internal peace by just noticing.