I’ve been searching for peace for most of my life and, thankfully, I’ve found a few practices that help me live in a state of peace most of the time. Here are five of my favourite practices for peace.
1. Cultivate Mindfulness
When my mind is spinning into a vortex of future tripping, and I can’t seem to settle it, I gentle coax my monkey mind into mindfulness.
I laser my concentration onto my senses and notice the moment. What am I hearing? Seeing? Physically feeling? Smelling? Tasting?
If I really need to amp up my practice I’ll add something interesting and engaging into the moment – like a piece of raw, organic, superfood dark chocolate or crank up my favorite Songza playlist and dance around the living room.
2. Explore Meditation
I’m inconsistent with my meditation practice and I am a impatient meditator. I set my Peace Alarm for ten minutes and when I peek at the timer I’m shocked to discover only seconds have passed.
I haven’t found a practice I’m ready to devote to. But, I experiment and explore different meditation practices with the intention to find my practice. Even though I’m not a dedicated meditator, I still take time to add a dash of peace to my day by focusing on my breath, a candle, or loving kindness.
If I need a physical distraction to focus my mind I’ll play my crystal singing bowl or do a round of mantra meditation with my Precious Mala.
3. Drop Judgment
Training my brain to drop judgment was one of the kindest things I did for myself.
Judgment spins us into a world of tense frenzy and frantic chaos. Of course, you can never completely escape judgment, but being liberated from the drama that arises when we fearfully or harshly judge ourselves, or others, makes space for wholehearted living and loving.
4. Ease Expectations
Being handcuffed to expectations about how life should go, how others should behave, and how I should be creates buckets of misery and disappointment.
Easing up on my fearful, lofty, unconscious expectations leads me into a more compassionate relationship with myself, others, and life.
5. Embrace Uncertainty
In the past, my need for control was out of control. It fuelled anxiety and kept me stuck.
I would pass up amazing opportunities unless I was certain about the outcome. Of course, it was all an illusion. Even if I tried to control the outcome there was still no certainty, I just convinced myself there was.
The reality is, I have no idea what the future will be. Shit will happen no matter how much I try to avoid it.
Trading avoidance and control for trust and surrender brought a whole lot of peace into my life. And, there has been some really incredible things that have happened because I let love take the lead and put fear in the back seat.
Find the peace practices that work for you.
You deserve it, our world needs it.