For many of us, inner peace seems dependent on other people’s actions, financial responsibilities and whatever else life throws your way.
Years ago, before I did my yoga teacher training, I wasn’t dealing with stress well and I felt like the three things listed above were in control of my life. I thought that external factors were making me stressed and therefore keeping me from achieving inner peace. My breakthrough happened when my yoga teacher said, “Everyone goes through stressful times… it’s how you deal with it.”
I was on a yoga journey to the centre of me. There was no turning back. This statement coupled with yoga was the catalyst for my realisation that I was blaming the stress caused by the external circumstances surrounding me.
The more layers that I uncovered on my journey into my center, the stronger I became. I was clearer and I was experiencing a deeper sense of inner peace.
I started to see that my inner state was being affected not only by how I dealt with circumstances but also by the way my life was unfolding around me.
Boom!
The more time I spent in the space of cultivating inner peace, the stronger I became within myself. With this new strength, I discovered that it was harder for things to knock me over. I learned to become the quiet and calm eye of the storm. I acknowledged that the storm was my outer layers peeling away. I learned to ride it out and as the storm settled, I found myself in a stronger place with a deeper sense of inner peace.
Then it came, the light bulb moment!
What was turning up in my life was a reflection of my inner state of being… not the other way around.
So I realised my number one priority was to cultivate an inner state of peace. For me, this was step one to the art of inner peace — realising that I need to focus on my inner world first and foremost.
Here are five steps that you can take to master your inner peace.
1. Make your inner state of being your priority.
2. Make meditation a daily practice
3. Create a morning routine that includes your meditation practice.
4. Do more of the things that you love
5. Allow space in your life for 3 things: to rest, to have fun and to restore your inner state of peace.
Inner peace comes from within. It’s not always easy to do on our own. Uncomfortable feelings like aversion and resistance present themselves. Remember that you’re not alone. Sometimes the only way to achieve a breakthrough is to seek out support from a tribe, a coach, a mentor or an ally. Support is essential for breakthroughs. The transformation will make you more resourceful, creative, intuitive and resilient.