Most of us feel the effects of stress, sometimes first thing in the morning.
So it's more important than ever to harness the tools of calm and make them part of our daily lives.
My mother, who we call Tiny Guru for her small stature and great spirit, has a saying I love:
"Don't let the noise of the world cover the soft voice of the heart."
If we are going to coexist with stress and a loud world, it only makes sense to step up our spiritual practice, fostering some powerful tools of serenity and calm.
Sound good?
This week in Every Day Spirit, we discuss a wide variety of stress-busting tools. Check out this article if you don't have the book yet and are in need of some de-stressing: 14 Steps to Calm.
Meanwhile, let’s get this day off to a beautiful start by practicing this calming meditation with exhales longer than the inhales.
Breathe in and out as you read:
Inhale peace.
Exhale stress, 2, 3.
Inhale calm.
Exhale worry, 2, 3.
Bring your attention to the breath. We can use it to calm the nerves, focus the mind and center the soul.
Let’s do this again with attention on the breath:
Inhale peace.
Exhale stress, 2, 3.
Inhale calm.
Exhale worry, 2, 3.
Great. Next we will reel in our thoughts.
This gets a little tricky because they have a mind of their own. So you have to hijack your thoughts from your mind and give them a new assignment.
All they have to do is read these phrases on the breath. Thanks, Mind.
Breathe as you read:
Inhale peace.
Exhale stress, 2, 3.
Inhale calm.
Exhale worry, 2, 3.
That’s better.
Back to borrowing your thoughts from your mind—you can do this anytime but your thoughts are not going to stop playing around on their own. You have to give the orders and tell them it is time for a rest.
Write yourself a note, set your phone alarm or do it on your lunch break.
When the time comes, sit with a straight spine and:
Inhale peace.
Exhale stress, 2, 3.
Inhale calm.
Exhale worry, 2, 3.
Now sit for just a moment with eyes closed and a quiet heart.
Rest in what is going right. Give thanks.
The big happy benefit here is that when you calm down, you connect more with the real you.
When you’re not in a spin, you are more authentic, you can feel your intuition, you can shoot off a focused prayer, you can offer up your challenges to Divine wisdom, you can look outside yourself and be present to the blessings.
Pretty amazing return on your investment, right?
Today may you enjoy the gentle process of unveiling the peace that is always within you.
In The World:
Take a few minutes several times today with this meditation. Choose peace and harmony over and over.
In The Heart:
I am filled with serenity and calm today in mind, body and soul. I use my breath to remain relaxed, healthy, focused and connected to spirit.
