“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
Inner peace is a natural state of being and quality of your Higher Self. It is a beautiful energy of calm and serenity. It is also an ability you have to cultivate a tranquil state of mind that can shift how you perceive, experience and interact with yourself, others, and the world.
In this article you will learn 9 practices that will help you cultivate your ability to create inner peace and calm on a daily basis.
First of all, finding inner peace is a journey that begins when we can be calm and present with life as we are living it, which can be messy, challenging and complicated at times.
Cultivating a tranquil state of mind requires practicing how to reduce paying attention to the habitual mental negative chatter and patterns of reaction that rob our inner calm and peace on a daily basis.
Being aware of these triggers is part of cultivating a compassionate and non-judgmental self-awareness as you take a kind of inventory of what thoughts, feelings and situations take you out of peace and into stress, anxiety, and negativity.
For instance, if you are standing in a long grocery line and you are already 10 minutes late for an appointment, you can stay calm and know this is what is happening, and you can choose to be stressed or to pause and stay calm.
With practice, the triggers that get you into a state of stress will become weaker and weaker, and you will become more relaxed and peaceful.
9 Inner Peace Practices for Daily Life
1. Take a compassionate Inventory of how you generally feel physically, emotionally and mentally
When you are feeling stressed during during your daily life, what thoughts and feelings come to mind? Is there a physical location for your feelings and reactions. Is there self-judgement, such as blame or shame?
2. Connecting with a larger picture can bring a new perspective
For instance, many people have difficulties, struggles and sufferings in this journey called life. So knowing that you are not alone can open you to connecting with feeling more compassion for yourself and others.
3. Acceptance for what is arising
What we resist persists. Learn how to go with the flow. When we acknowledge what we feel without judgement and stay in the presence of calm, we gain self-understanding and connect with our inner peace. We learn to go beyond the habitual reactive mind and learn how to step into a more compassionate, tranquil and heart-centered awareness.
4. Connect with what brings a smile to your face
What brings you joy? What makes you laugh? Do this on a daily basis to connect with happy feelings and gratitude for the positive things, feelings and people in your life. Scientific research clearly shows that the regular practice of gratitude connects us with feeling more well-being and happiness.
5. Practice staying in the present moment with daily activities
These activities can be as simple as staying present with brushing your teeth and the sensations it creates from start to finish, rather than in thoughts about your day and worries. When you eat, be present with the colors, the textures and taste of the food you are eating. Staying in the present moment without the thoughts racing in your mind, is a great way to start creating the space for peace of mind.
6. A daily breathing practice that elevates your health, well-being and consciousness
Breathe in a nurturing energy of health, peace and vitality into your body, mind and emotions. Feel that you are inhaling the life force energy and exhaling stale energy and negative thoughts from your body and mind. Smile in your heart and feel the peace inside and feel it growing in you each and everyday. Let the practice take you into a state of balance, meditative awareness and peace.
7. Engage in some form of physical activity daily
You might consider activities like yoga, walking, swimming, active breathing, or biking. What helps you get to your happy place? To feel healthy and alive in your body?
8. Practice deep relaxation regularly
Learn to consciously relax your body and mind to reduce and relieve stress and tension.
9. Visualize yourself in your happy place
This might be visualizing yourself on a warm sandy beach, connecting with the sensations, sounds, feelings and imagery. Imagine feeling and hearing the warm and gentle breezes of the ocean air.
You can also visualize yourself healthy, strong and peaceful. In fact you can create all you want to manifest into your life when you can first imagine it and feel it as real. Science has shown that the body and mind respond as if you are actually having the experience. Powerful!
Reap the Rewards
With practice of these techniques you will reap the rewards. You will feel more peaceful, more confident and more empowered, because life situations do not control you, your emotions, or your well-being.
You will begin to have a more balanced, compassionate relationship with the many life situations that we all encounter. As you cultivate your inner peace, you will also harness your inner resources to develop resilience, inner strength and wisdom.
Conclusion
Inner peace is naturally within, but we can loose site of it when we are in stress, feeling chaotic or out-of-control. But inner peace is a natural state of our true self and inner source.
Once we learn how to connect with our peaceful presence and cultivate it into our daily lives, we will also find more peace of mind and compassion for ourselves and others.
Inner peace is an awareness and an energy that we can cultivate in our daily lives to bring mental and emotional balance, which also brings a feeling of inner stability. When we learn to disengage from the reactive mind and all associated thoughts, we begin to find our inner source of calm and tranquility.
Simple daily practices like the 9 outlined here help us to cultivate a compassionate mindfulness about ourselves, as well as how to be present in our lives more fully, more joyfully, and with a more balanced perspective.
As we cultivate inner peace into our lives, we also share that peaceful presence with all we come in contact with. In fact we are creating peace in ourselves and our world. After all, peace starts within.
