Inner Peace; Finding It and Keeping It

by Karen Hood-Caddy -

There is such a pervasive sense of uncertainty and unknowing. Once upon a time, you could find out the “answer” to almost anything by going to an ‘expert’.

These days however even the experts don’t seem to know what to do. Whether the issue is our financial situation, our health or our relationships, there is a great deal of differing advice about what we should do.

The good thing about not being able to get an definitive answer about what to do is that we are being forced to tune into our own inner sense of things.

When we truly know what is right for us, it does not matter what others say. But how do we find out what our own sense is? 

The first step to inner listening is to become calm. We can’t look into the depths of our inner pool if the surface is chopped up with waves. We need to calm the waters and then look.

Here are some ways to settle yourself down and become calm.

1. Come back to your senses.  

Notice what you’re touching, tasting, hearing, seeing and smelling right now. Most of our fears and anxieties are based on what we’re worried about happening in the future. 

When we tune into the present moment through our physical senses, we get a strong and immediate confirmation of how supported we actually are.  

Take one minute to do this now: Notice what your senses are sensing. Feel your lungs breathing and notice that all the air you need is there for you every minute of every day. 

Now notice the way the chair you’re sitting on supports you, holds you up. Allow yourself to experience how your basic survival needs are all being taken care of. Recognizing this will help you relax. Inner peace lives in this relaxed state. 

2. Belly breathe for a few minutes whenever you can.  

This will bring you into your body and help you access the peacefulness that is already within you. We often forget that Inner Peace is something that’s already inside us. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in paddling through the big waves on life’s surface, that we forget about the ocean on peace that dwells under the surface. 

3. Do things more slowly.  

Again, this is a small intervention, but remarkably powerful. I think it works because inner peace is inherently a slow thing and when we move more slowly, we come closer to it energetically. 

4. When faced with challenges ask yourself, “Does this really matter?”  

See if you can do this once a day. You’ll be surprised and refreshed how often the answer is “No, it doesn’t really matter.” 

5. Remember times you felt peaceful and go back to them.  

There is a beach in Greece and a few islands out on Georgian Bay where I’ve experienced deep peacefulness. 

When I return to them in my mind, I make my imaginings them as real in my imagination as I can. I remember the sound of the wind, imagine the smell of summer sun on rocks, feel my kayak bobbing in the waves. Just writing about this makes my shoulders relax.  

Remember, the unconscious doesn’t know the difference between an imagining and reality, so your body will respond to these remembrances. And the the more you do this, the more you will be laying down pathways in your brain, which means the easier it will get. 

6. Turn Off the News.  

Studies have shown that people who watch the news before they go to bed don’t sleep as well. Not surprising, given the doom and gloom in the news. 

Remember, doom and gloom sells, but you don’t have to buy it. Limit the number of times you listen to the news or read it and choose wisely the time of day you let it in. 

7. Play soothing music or nature sounds.  

This can have a strong subliminal effect. 

8. Take breaks in your day. 

Our energy tends to balance itself naturally if we let it. Get out at lunch or take your computer to a park (that’s where I’m writing this from) and let your energy recoup.

Practice these ideas and you may find yourself feeling, showing some of the following ‘symptoms’ of inner peace.

SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

1. Tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
3. Loss of interest in judging yourself or anyone else.
4. Loss of interest in conflict.
5. Disinclination to worry (this is a very serious symptom).
6. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
7. Connected feelings of connectedness with others & nature.
8. Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the heart
9. Increasing susceptibility to extend love to others.
10. Increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

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