I came across this amazing quote the other day which stopped me in my chaos long enough to say to myself “I want more of this!”
“Peace ….. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard
work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
Author Unknown
In the next moment, I glanced over to see one of my greatest teachers, our 20 year old cat Mitze. She is all of 2.7 lbs yet full of wisdom. She shows me how simple it can be to have Peace.
- Mitzie practicing peace
1 Relax
2 Breathe
3 Feel the calm
Mitzie is the queen of napping! Well actually, that is pretty much all she does these days! You don’t have to take a nap to relax, but sometimes it helps. So does taking a hot shower, strolling through a forest, wading in a babbling stream, drinking a cup of nurturing tea, going for a fun swim, watching a meaningful movie, talking to a trusted friend, listening to relaxing music, saying a prayer, meditating, receiving a nurturing massage, watching a glorious sunset, or having a good belly laugh. The list is endless. What brings you Peace?
Become conscious of how you feel and what you think when you’re relaxed. It is almost like nothingness, only you are awake and aware. I invite you to practice relaxing until you can take that relaxed feeling with you no matter where you go or what you’re doing.
When is a good time to relax? When you are unable to do anything about what is bothering you. When you are afraid. When you’re certain you have to do something, but don’t know what that something is. I experienced all of these feelings the past few days with a circumstance that appeared in my life. It seemed to come out of nowhere and literally mortified me. I had a few sleepless nights while obsessing, and feeling a wide range of feelings such as devastated, stuck, sad, angry, dismayed, discouraged, disheartened, baffled, shocked, puzzled and confused. I realized I needed to practice what I teach, and what my cat was reminding me to do was simply practice relaxing inside. I knew I needed to reconnect to my inner self in order to feel peaceful and manage with ease and grace whatever comes my way.
Try practicing Peace until you can do it purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr~fectly. Okay gotta go, it’s my time to practice Peace, listen to my mentor Mitzie and and take a little nap. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Mitzie and I would love to hear your favorite ways of practicing peace. email us at geri@lovinlivin.com
Geri