Finding Your Inner Peace & Keeping It

There are many things we can do that help us to connect with our inner peace. We consciously and unconsciously become drawn to certain situations and places that facilitate a mental and physical shift into a calmer state; or we engage in a discipline such as meditation or similar techniques that quiet the mind and body. We often don’t recognize that a shift is taking place.

Stop for a moment now, and visualize yourself sitting or walking into a church, watching a sunset, looking into the eyes of a child, camping, hiking in nature, viewing a beautiful art piece, listening to music, holding a puppy, or sitting by the ocean. You will recognize that your body and mind have quieted down. These are moments in time where you can hesitate and stop your busy mind long enough to drop deep into your body where you get a glimpse of your inner peace.

When you do this you briefly connect with a deeper part of yourself. Unfortunately, you are swiftly taken away from the depth of your quiet moment by the stimulation of life that pulls you in many different directions. Then you begin again, rushing, worrying and being in the future or the past. This has been so automatic that you barely recognize how tense and out of balance you have become. It is even difficult to recognize how quickly the mind returns to its busy state, and how you have jumped out of your body.

There is much literature on how to find your inner peace but the question is how do you keep your inner peace in the midst of what appears to be a busy, chaotic world, where rushing and trying to accomplish as many things in a day as possible is valued.

How do you live in your body, live in your inner peace and live in the world?

Feelings are the life of the body and thoughts are the life of the mind. In order to be in your peace you must be anchored in your body, and your mind must be free of worry, doubt, fear or thoughts of the past or future. This is not easy to maintain as we move through our day and live in a world that does not support inner peace. In fact, life conditions you to strive to be accepted and to achieve or prove something to yourself or to others. This way of being, keeps you living in your busy mind much of the time.

Here are some techniques I have found helpful in maintaining my inner peace. It helps the mind and the body shift into a more balanced peaceful state. It quiets the negative thinking and helps you to drop into your body. Here is where you will be able to live in your body, in your inner peace and in the world. It takes self-discipline, motivation and patience.

l. Let Yourself Be - Are you flexible or inflexible with yourself? Are you compassionate and self-forgiving when you think you have not lived up to your standards or personal expectations? Are you trying to constantly prove your worthiness, lovability or value to yourself or to others? If you find yourself doing any of the above you are out of your peace. Letting yourself be, simply means accepting your human imperfection and knowing that your essential being is perfect.

2. Do Not Look For Peace In The Future Or In External Circumstances - Are you telling yourself you will feel peace, when you finish this, or have that project accomplished, are financially secure, or have a intimate relationship, or take a vacation or if you could stop working etc. Peace is always available within, not in anything outside of yourself that you must change or wait for in the future.

3. Feel Your Innocence – Most people become disconnected from their inner child. Your inner child holds your natural joy and pleasure. Your inner child represents your innocence, peace, purity and your divine nature. Practice getting in touch with your inner child by focusing on a certain age. Focus on your 3, 4 or 5 or 10 and 11 years old. Recall memories where you felt your natural pleasure and joy of just moving, or where you felt your true innocence. When you feel your innocence you are close to your divine nature and inner peace.

4. Value Love - Value the love you have in your life and practice living in your heart. Love is the strongest force in the universe. It is the essential element of your being. Love is the absence of fear, guilt or shame. Self love leads to unconditional love. Place your hand on your heart throughout the day and ask yourself how you are doing. This will help you to connect with your heart center and your body.

5. Let Go Of What You Cannot Change, Alter Or Avoid - Letting go means you are not trying to force, control or engage in trying to change others. Embrace the circumstances by taking a deep breath and accepting. When you do this you are able to let go and move on to another moment.

6. Create Quiet Time - Practice going within by finding a regular time to spend with yourself where you have no distractions. Find a technique that works for you, where you are able to be alone and undistracted for at least 10 minutes a day. Go into the stillness and just let yourself stay there as long as you can. This practice will help you establish that connection deep inside yourself and it will become more familiar.

Value your peace above everything and make a commitment to take the actions that are necessary to reconnect with what is your essential being. Here is where the divine spark in you resides. It is from this place that inspiration springs forth and you move with the energy of creation fulfilling your unique purpose. Embracing peace will allow you to automatically let goof the unnecessary reactions, and drama that fill your mind and contract your body, so that an awakening can occur.

Practice these techniques as often as you think of them. Trust your process and desire to make every moment be more peaceful. This is the call of your soul.

Michele Germain is the author of “The Jill Principle – A Women’s Guide To Healing Her Spirit After Divorce Or Breakup, published by Llewellyn Worldwide. Phone counseling is available.. She is licensed as a Clinical Social Worker and Marriage Family Therapist in California. She is a Certified Bioenergetic Analyst, specializing in the mind/body connection, an approach that resolves the emotional pain remaining in the body. She is a relationship expert, and helps individuals find the spiritual gift in their crisis or breakup. She has appeared on radio, cable television and in print media, and has lectured aboard major cruise ship lines such as the Royal Caribbean. For more information visit www.michelegermain.com or www.TheJillPrinciple.com or www.beyondbreakup.com