EASY TOOLS FOR ACHIEVING INNER PEACE
by Carol Hansen Grey

Meditate Daily, Even If It's Only for 5 Minutes

When we take the time to bring ourselves into a quiet sacred space with Spirit, we open ourselves to Grace  and unlimited possibilities.  Just 5 minutes a day can make a difference in how we move through our day.  Some meditation techniques are included below.

Add  Some Silent Time To Your Life Every Day

In addition to meditation, I suggest you take every opportunity to consciously add some silence to your life.  The world we live in is inundated with sound and noise and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to experience true SILENCE. Taking a walk in the woods is ideal, but not everyone has the time or the opportunity to do that.  So, I have found it helpful to create silent times during my everyday activities.  One of my favorite silent times is driving in my car.  Instead of turning on the radio or listening to music, I drive in silence and open myself up to my inner creative voice that can easily be heard when I consciously create the environment.

Begin To Eliminate Negativity From Your Life

A good way to start is by filtering your exposure to the so-called "News."  (Dr. Andrew Weil suggests going on a 2-week news fast!) The media sensationalizes and feeds us a diet of fear-based reports.  When we continually expose ourselves to this type of negativity, it begins to affect our attitudes about ourselves and our environment. An easy way to begin is to join the World Peace Experiment by agreeing to say "Only Love Prevails" each time you hear a negative report in the news or when you perceive a negative event occurring. This sends positive energy to a perceived negative event and also puts you in a non-judgmental observer role.

Sign up for the World Peace Experiment at www.onlyloveprevails.org. It's free. It's easy. It takes only minutes a day! It will help you attain inner peace.  The outer is merely a reflection of the inner.  Peace in the world can only be attained when enough of us (critical mass) reach a state of inner peace. 

Start Using Your MUTE Button on Commercials

Become aware of the impact of "manipulative advertising" on your self esteem. No matter what they're selling, these types of commercials all have the same underlying message, "You are not good enough unless you buy this product".  This message is delivered directly to our unconscious with highly sophisticated techniques.  Use your "mute" button during commercials and limit your exposure to these disempowering messages.  

Pay Attention To Your Thoughts

Our thoughts create our reality.  Consciously start paying attention to any negative or limiting thought that crosses your mental screen and when you spot them, ask that they be transformed.  My Free Yourself from Fear booklet that explains this simple process in detail can be printed out at openheartpress.com. 

Clear Yourself  Often

Use any method that works for you to clear yourself from negative or low energy.  The process I use is the Rainbow Clearing Process described below. Often we take on energy from others as we move through our day. Your goal is to stay in your own energy. The Rainbow Clearing Process can be used easily to remove energy that is not yours.

Develop An Attitude of Gratitude

An easy way to start consciously shifting into gratitude is by silently reciting a litany of things for which you are thankful every time something happens to upset you (i.e., I am thankful for my beautiful family, for my health, for my loving friends, etc.)  You will immediately find yourself lifted out of the limiting emotional energy of anger into a state of gratitude and grace.

MEDITATION TECHNIQUES

CREATING THE SPACE

• Create a sacred space in your home where you can sit comfortably and quietly. Designate this space as your meditation space and use it exclusively for those quiet times when you wish to be rejuvenated and connected to Spirit. It can be as small as a corner of your bedroom.
• In your sacred space create an altar for a candle and other objects that are close to your heart.
• Keep a few sacred books in this space for inspiration and guidance and also a notebook and pen for journaling your thoughts.
• You may also wish to have a CD or tape player handy if music helps you relax.

TECHNIQUES YOU CAN USE

• BREATHE:  Consciously bring your attention to your breath. Respiration and Inspiration both have their root in "spirit". Use your breath to "re-spirit" your body and "in-spire" your mind.
• LIGHT A CANDLE and begin to focus your attention on the flame, letting your mind drift into a quiet oneness with the candle.
• INVOKE SPIRIT THROUGH PRAYER.  This can be as simple as asking to be brought into a state of peace and harmony.
• READ FROM A SACRED BOOK. This can help set the tone and inspire you during your quiet reflective time.
• JOURNAL your thoughts in a notebook.
• END IN GRATITUDE by stating (or listing in your journal) what you are grateful for in the moment.

CREATING A RITUAL

Your meditation time is YOUR time and there is no right way or wrong way to do it.  Use any of the techniques listed above or make up your own to create a ritual that is uniquely yours.  What is important is that you spend some time each day honoring your divinity and connecting to Spirit.