Peace is within

The solution to peace lies within, not in some beautiful tropical paradise.

by Ada Porat —

In a world that spews forth activity and demands attention 24/7, it is hardly surprising that stress is the biggest health challenge facing people today. Millions are looking for ways to counter the relentless onslaught of technology on their sense of well-being. Ironically, the solution to peace lies within, not in some tropical paradise.

Peace is a state of being that is borne of silence. It is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, yet it is also one of the least understood. Inner peace offers a refuge from the turbulence of the outer world and wields enormous transformational power in the lives of those who cherish it.

You, too, can enjoy the benefits of inner peace in the midst of a hectic world. To move from panicked to peaceful, you must first go within. To know the peace that circulates through a quiet mind, you must take yourself to that place where this silent presence can make itself known to you.

When Jesus told his disciples to seek the Kingdom of Heaven within, his words were alive with practical instruction. He was showing people how to discover a secret part of themselves that remained untouched by the wear and tear of their outer world. This master instruction still holds true. If we want to know the silent strength of peace that surpasses all understanding, we must become quiet. In doing so, we learn to become the observer, not the doer.

The second step is to observe. A good wildlife naturalist observes the diverse ways of animals without interfering. In order to learn more about primates, Jane Goodall simply watched them over the course of many years, without interfering. And that is what you must learn to do within: Become an impartial witness to your own thoughts and feelings. Let them surface and subside within you, while you simply observe without the slightest judgment of their nature or character. Neither resist nor let yourself be drawn into any of their attention-stealing antics.

“Be master of mind, rather than mastered by mind,” advises a Zen proverb. And you can. You can participate in the outer activities of life and still rest within creation, remaining unattached to those activities and their stories. The challenge lies in learning how to rest in pure consciousness where nothing can affect you.

That brings us to the third step, detachment. The more detached you become from the mind’s state of perpetual thinking, the easier it becomes to perform all the actions that need to be done, without losing your sense of power. Just observe with detached self-observation. Each time you realize that you are no longer watching, quietly withdraw your energy from that temporary psychic wave. Remember who you are: the observer of the thoughts, not the thoughts or the resulting emotions they invoke.

So there you have it: go within — observe — detach — and repeat. This practice is at the heart and soul of finding stillness and becoming peace. Let go of outer drama, turn inward and observe. Then gently bring back your awareness each time it wanders, returning to the inner landscape of the present moment. You are training your mind that you are not subject to its thoughts, but are the observer.

Pay no attention to what your thoughts and feelings are trying to tell you. Learn to observe the inner voices. Gradually attune your inner awareness to the cracks between thoughts, the silence beneath the inner landscape and sink into that silent peace. As you maintain awareness of each moment, you will notice how the moment itself changes — and as it does, so do you. When you connect to the silence within, your mind returns to peace.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, take a few minutes to center yourself. Go within — observe — detach — and repeat the steps until your consciousness returns to peace. The more you practice this, the more you will be able to experience inner peace, calm and strength in your daily life, regardless of outside circumstances.

Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist and life coach who helps people live their best lives. 602-283-4628 or www.AdaPorat.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 3, June/July 2012.