Peace: Why do we need it?
Jul 11, 2023Most of us have experienced the feeling of peace whether for a few minutes at the end of a yoga class, sitting quietly in a church or at a park, or after a long workday when everything around us is still and quiet.
We've all touched that place of peace and there are ways to achieve it on a regular basis.
One guaranteed way to regularly reach that state of peace is through meditation. It can even be felt in the beginner stages of meditation. This sense of peacefulness seems to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It leaves you feeling like there is nothing wrong in the world.
Of course, it doesn't always last and we need to find ways to feel peace daily.
A quiet and focused mind, a calm breath, and body can literally achieve miracles for mental and emotional health.
What is Peace?
When we think of peace, do we think of it as a quality we just possess, or… is it something we experience through practice and application?
When we think of peace, we might envision a person walking calmly into a job interview. So self-assured, that they basically know that they already got the job. It’s an inner state of calmness, knowing that we can already achieve anything.
This calm state is an aspect of peace, but there’s also a deeper aspect and that is the state that emanates from inside of us, when we know, we already have everything we need right inside of us.
How do we achieve this state of Peace?
Just yesterday, I woke up frantic, with a long list of to-do’s. It seemed impossible to fit everything into one day and I didn't know where to start. Do you know the feeling?
Instead of jumping right in and getting to the list, I took out my yoga mat and went outside. I practiced a few yoga postures, then came inside, sat on my meditation pillow, and did some calm, active breathing techniques (kriya yoga). Within about 20 minutes my mind was calm, my energy was centered and I closed the practice. Short and sweet.
After the meditation, I took a few minutes to integrate and then started to think about what the priority of the tasks were for the day. It came very easily and I knew exactly what needed to be done. For me, that is peace.
Putting Peace into Practice
Wouldn't it be nice if we experienced mental clarity every single day and life seemed to flow from a space of calmness? That's why making the space to practice peace is so important.
I’ve noticed in my own life that, when I don’t have peace, things work sometimes but not with the same sense of well-being and ease. We can get a lot done quickly and frantically, but the quality in which we do the tasks ultimately brings with it a sense of greater anxiety or peace.
There are so many responsibilities and distractions pulling our attention, that it’s almost guaranteed at times we will feel fearful, overwhelmed, scattered, or anxious. So if this is obvious and in some ways, the new norm, we need to find tangible ways to focus on and protect our peace.
Here is one practice you can start: One question we can ask ourselves on a regular basis is this: Will this action or thought bring me greater harmony/peace or will it bring me further away from it?
In two weeks, at Ananda LA’s new retreat center in Temecula, CA - we have an opportunity to learn and practice these techniques for gaining a sense of peace, harmony, and overall well-being. Nayaswami Pranaba and Nayaswami Parvati visiting teachers from Ananda village will host a retreat in Temecula (90-minutes outside of LA) called “The Yogic Way to Calmness, Happiness, and Abundance.
In this retreat, we will learn and practice tools for balancing the intensity of everyday life.
We will learn specific techniques to tune into the flow of productive energy and learn how to let go of “energy drains”. We will also learn practices for deepening relaxation – and gaining balance in our lives.
Follow the link below and join us for this amazing retreat weekend
where we will have the opportunity to practice peace.
https://www.anandala.org/YogaRetreatAnandaLA
Sincerely,
Clarity West
