There is a saying that “Peace is not about avoiding trouble, work and hardships. Rather Peace is the ability to remain calm in the midst of life’s challenges”. This is something that I have struggled with and still think about sometimes. It is really easy to feel at peace and ease when things are going well and you are generally happy about the state of your life.

However, when there is chaos around us or things don’t go as planned or we have expectations that aren’t met, we can start to feel that tide of emotion rising up within us – anxiety, anger, fear, worry,  … the list goes on.

So, how does one go about finding that deep well of calm within – especially in the moment of challenge? Here are a few techniques that might help you with this:

1.    Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – this is one of a collection of techniques that use the body’s energetic meridians to effect emotional and physical change. It is also known as “tapping”. It has been used with great effect in any number of things, but its ability to deflect and lower panic and anxiety in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients is why I’ve listed it here. Basically, you tap on various meridian points (top of head, above eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, above lips, below, lips, below collar bone and under arm on side of body) with two or three fingers while reciting “Even though I (enter the feeling you are having here – e.g., feel worried), I deeply love and respect myself. Continue repeating this as you tap your way through the points. Check yourself after one round, if you still feel the feeling or another feeling, continue until you are at a neutral point. Get help from a good EFT practitioner if you need help.

2.    Remembrance – a Sufi practice of chanting the name of god (Allah) silently or under your breath repeatedly for 5 – 20 minutes. You can sit comfortably and if possible, close your eyes and place your hands over your heart area. This technique really helps you get into your heart space, which is where the calm resides.

3.    Chanting – An example of chanting would be the Hindu peace chant:

Asato maa,

Sadgamayaa
 Tamaso maa, Jyotirgamayaa ;

Mrityor maa, Amritam Gamayaa

Here is a link to a site that explains the meaning of the chant and some mp3 links so that you can listen to it.

http://www.eaglespace.com/spirit/asatomaa.php

There is something about the vibration of sound that can change your energy field instantly. If this chant is too complicated for you, try simply chanting “Ohm” over and over again until you start feeling calm.

There are many more ways to get to that place of peace. These are but a few techniques that I use regularly to get back to feeling calm and centered when I find myself feeling overwhelmed, worried, anxious, fearful, etc. And the beauty of them is that you don’t even need to know WHY you feel the way you do. Just do one of these and watch your blood pressure lower, your breath deepen and your connection with the Divine increase. What more could you ask for?

This is an excerpt from a chapter I am writing for a book that will be release in January:  

As an interfaith/interspiritual teacher and healer I am very aware of the importance of ritual. Ritual can help us see ourselves as the connection between heaven and earth – it brings the spiritual to the mundane. The word “Ritual” actually comes from an Indo-European root word, which means “to Fit together”; this is actually an act of joining the spiritual world with the physical world. Ritual is a path to the Divine.

What makes something a ritual as opposed to just a habit? INTENTION!!! There are two parts to every ritual: Intention and the Action (“Heart” and “Hand”). The intention is the purpose of the ritual – it is what we hope to accomplish by performing it. By putting our intentions into action, we create a space in which we are fully present in the moment – we are in a state of MINDFULNESS. The ego dissolves and we are connected with Source.

One of my purposes is to be always in connection with the Divine and to help others to do the same. When you are “connected”, things flow so much more smoothly, decisions are easier and conflicts are eased.  In the daily rush, it is easy to just quickly move from one task to the next – blindly going through life and not finding meaning in any of it. But ritual can help us come back to ourselves…to make that connection with our Source and to be sure we are focused and on the right track. What could be better than that?

I think many of us go into business for ourselves because we want more meaning in our lives and in our work. But, what is meaning exactly? I would venture to say that it is that spiritual, sacred essence that can so easily get brushed aside when we are always in a hurry. Ritual can take you back there in an instant – into a focused state where we can notice where we are and intend what we want.

The way to live with the Divine as your business partner is to transform everyday events into sacred moments. Any action can become a ritual by focusing intent on it. Anything from brushing your teeth or writing an email can become a sacred act.

My recommended success ritual is to connect with the Divine every day throughout the day. This is not so much one ritual, but many that can be clumped under the umbrella of “Divine Connection”. These small rituals throughout the day are what make me successful. And I know immediately when I haven’t been keeping up my daily sacred rituals to connect, because I become agitated and anxious more easily, things don’t flow as smoothly, and the river of abundance appears to be “dammed-up”!

Next week I will talk about some strategies for actually incorporating ritual into your daily life.

Blessings,

Rev. Tricia

In any spiritual path one follows, inevitably, the idea of letting go rears its head. Why is it so important? Why is it so difficult? We can face this conundrum in a myriad of ways. Not only on our own path, but also when dealing with others  – for example when we are dealing with other people, we must approach them free of expectations and requirements; in many forms of meditation, we are asked to let our thoughts go as they appear; in counseling sessions, we must let go of preconceived projections and outcomes.

What are some of the things we need to let go of? Well, the list is infinite, but here’s some food for thought: shame, guilt, fear, anger, bad relationships, expectations, grief, resistance, dependency…

And through all of this letting go, the mind is clinging with fierce determination to what it knows. “The devil you know is better (safer) than the devil you don’t!” we exclaim. The dangerous unknown lurks in front of us like an abysmal hole. The purpose of the mind or Ego is to keep us safe – that part of ourselves will do whatever it takes to accomplish its mission of keeping us safe from harm – and what could be more unsafe than the unknown or change? However, a full cup cannot be filled with something new – it must be emptied first.  Let go!

If we can allow ourselves to open up with grace (or without, as the case may be) and trust to the unknown and something different, what we find is a whole new world of options and possibilities. The Divine has more in store for us than we can imagine for ourselves, but our job is to have faith and let go!

The question is how? How can we let go when our “monkey mind” is clinging tight to its vine? There are 5 simple steps to easing into faith and “letting go and letting God”:

1.    Label that part of yourself that is afraid. Give it a name and make it as real in your mind as possible. This gives you something to focus on.

2.    Let it express its fear through journaling or meditation.

3.    Speak to it gently as you would a frightened child. Don’t dismiss it – it will only cry louder!

4.    Get silent and still so that you can hear the still, small voice within – this is what will tell you your next step, if any.

5.    Breathe! It is so important during these times of change to remember to breathe.

By giving voice to your fears, you allow that voice to know it’s being listened to. Only then can it begin to be comforted. Then the monkey can finally let go of that vine – that’s the only way you’ll be able to catch the next vine – much like a trapeze artist, in order to catch one trapeze the artist must let go of the one they are holding and trust that the one they need will be where it needs to be when they let go.

Remember that when a window is closed, a door is opened. Go ahead, close that window! Let go and live life!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: This article was written by Patricia Selmo, an ordained Interfaith Minister, certified life coach, spiritual healer, teacher and guide. She is owner of The Blissful Soul, an organization dedicated to healing and helping people live in peace and joy with themselves and others: www.TheBlissfulSoul.com.