Practicing My Peace

have been reflecting lately on things that interrupt my peace, on the times I catch myself not being fully present in the moment. When my thoughts are lost in other places such as my running to-do list, when I am worrying about the future or dwelling in the past. I am not always at peace when I am in traffic or when I am running late. I am not at peace when I have spent too long looking at Facebook, news articles or Pinterest.

Our electronic device can be a peace-thief if we aren't mindful. Yet, the ease of virtual living can be so alluring! With my own business I have appreciated the flexibility I have had to work whenever I want. I started my practice while raising young children so I could attend to being a Mother and then slip into work mode when the house was quiet. Yet, I will admit this flexibility has also led to me reading text messages when I am with my family, checking email too late into the night, and working Friday nights and Sunday mornings. Utilizing this flexibility can leave me not respecting my own need for rest and rejuvenation. I know many of us struggle with this and even when we are being mindful these devices can break into our peace, dinging with the 24-hour news cycle, the deal you can't miss, text messages from political candidates, surveys we have to partake in, and more calls from spam than from friends and family combined. This is our modern world and it shows no signs of slowing down. 

Lately I have been reflecting on this and practicing mindfulness to stay at peace. I can tell when I am not there as my breathing becomes shallow, I am not fully present in my body and I have a pit of dread in my stomach. When I notice these things I practice applying tools to return. Wayne Dyer has written “You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now.” One method I use is to ground my feet on the floor and really notice the surface that is supporting me . Then I place my hands on my thighs and take deep, diaphragmatic breaths (Look up "Diaphragmatic Breathing" to learn the benefits). I practice noticing what is around me, ideally something in nature: the nearest tree, a bird I can spot, a cloud pattern or the position of the sun in the sky. I pair what I can see with these deep breaths and notice how I return into the presence of myself. Ahhh, instant return to peace. Truly, I practice this multiple times per day (especially in traffic ❤️).

I also know that I need regular filling of my inner peace cup. I take slow walks with my pup, camp under the stars, hikes through the forest and spend time next to water. I am also finding it ever more important to carve out "off" time and "work" time to help me rest and rejuvenate. Notice I use the word "Practice" often as I write about these tools. I am certainly not perfect in it but the practice allows for me to build resilience. It is akin to lifting weights to build muscle or how a musician will rehearse a passage on her instrument to get it down. Our brains can get stronger and more efficient as well.

I am curious: What do you notice interrupts your peace and what will rejuvenate it? I would love to hear about it when we are together again. Each day I am grateful for this beautiful practice of Homeopathy and the lovely humans who join me in it. Thanks for being on this journey with me ❤️.

Warmly, Rebecca