Letting go and finding peace

It has been a while since I last blogged. Things got a bit hectic and blogging unfortunately got left in the back burner for a little too long. It’s always tough to get back in sync when you have been out of it for too long…But here I am again, trying to get back in the flow…

Recently, I have taken up meditation in order to feel more calm and manage stress better. I attended a 4 week course on it and I must say I really enjoyed it. It has really helped me become more calm, less anxious about the future, and to respond better to stressors and annoyances.

Meditation is really about mindfullness, about being really in the present moment and being aware of yourself. Being aware of your own behavior, responses and thoughts on a day to day basis is also part of the whole mindfulness thing.

My meditation teacher told us that “Peace is in the same place as your suffering. When you accept, peace takes its place”. I didnt really get it when she said it, I was skeptical, I admit.

As the classes progressed and she taught us various techniques about how to let go and accept, I realised how true her statement is.

A large portion of our suffering comes from our unwillingness to let go – of possesions, of pride, of ego, of relationships that are no longer working, of the need to control what happens to us and our loved ones. Hence comes the inevitable suffering as we struggle for control. When we let go and accept what is, peace takes its place in our minds.

We can do what needs to be done, work hard towards our goals and achieve and grow but with an attitude of acceptance and peace, where we do not try to control the outcome, or become upset when things don’t go according to plan.

A lot of the time, when we are upset about something and we search for the root cause of it, it will likely come back to our own self, our need to look good, our need to keep up our ego, our need to fufill certain desires, our need to control, etc…

And so I have been trying to practice this in past few weeks. I must confess I am not always so patient or tolerant and have lapses, but I do notice a significant change to the way I respond to what happens around me and to me. I react less harshly and am able to let small things pass me by. It is so much more better for my peace of mind to be this way. There is less internal stuggle and more contentment.

Meditation helps to release any pent up emotions or angst that you may have inside of you. It’s like weeding your garden. Your mind is a beautiful garden and you have to make sure to regularly get out the weeds so that the flowers can bloom. Cheesy as it may sound, its true!

In the beginning, it will be tough to sit still and focus your mind but the trick is not to force it. The mind is a tricky thing-it will only do what you tell it not to do! With practice, however, it will get easier and you will see the benefits.

Here’s to peace for all of you…
xoxo
Prithi