Hello,
This is davidji with insight timer and welcome to day two of the inner peace challenge.
Today we'll explore peace of mind.
Two thousand years ago the ancient sage Patanjali wrote the yoga sutras.
In the second sutra of 196 he defined yoga with these beautiful Sanskrit words,
Yoga citta vritti nirodha.
Essentially yoga,
This union,
This peaceful oneness is achieved by progressively quieting the fluctuations of the mind.
Fast forward two thousand years and now science has proven that when we can quiet the mind just a bit,
Our physiology quiets down just a bit.
Thoughts begin to slow and the entire world seems to flow to us in slow motion.
So how do we live our life with a bit more peace of mind?
There's actually some powerful brain science behind this,
So many neurological studies by some of the finest institutions in the world have proven that spending time in the present moment can actually change the physical structure of the brain.
Different aspects of our brain activate and strengthen by spending a bit more time in the present moment.
If we can connect to the stillness and silence that rests within throughout the day,
All the overwhelm eases off of us.
Agitation,
Anxiety and stress ease up.
Our nervous energy calms down.
We become more reflective.
Our thoughts slow down a bit so we can make better,
More thoughtful choices.
The Buddha referred to these aspects twenty six hundred years ago in his description of the Noble Eightfold Path where he said,
Right View leads to Right Intention,
Which leads to Right Speech,
Which leads to Right Action,
Which leads to Right Livelihood,
Then to Right Effort,
Then to Right Mindfulness,
Then to Right Samadhi,
Bliss,
Peace of mind.
Today we connect to the inner voice in our head and awaken into peace.
Our inner voice cannot be found in the advice or opinions of friends and family.
That comes purely from our true self.
Connecting to that self wisdom is what guides us through life's twists and turns.
And that's really what we're all here to do.
The highest aim of any spiritual path is surrender,
Not defeat or weakness.
Surrender is simply trusting that something bigger than you will guide you to where you need to be.
Whether we interpret that as fate,
Or God,
Or the universe,
Or a divine creator,
There is an inner light that lovingly guides you to exactly where you need to be,
Even when you can't foresee the outcome of a situation.
Everything is always unfolding perfectly at the level of spirit,
And the universe will flow exactly as it plans.
You don't have to struggle or force situations to go your way.
It is only your mind containing your ego that believes you are this persona trying to navigate through the treacherous waters of life.
The reality is that you are not a human being having occasional spiritual experiences.
You are a spiritual being having these consistent human experiences.
And by surrendering to the divine nature of the universe,
You end the struggle.
You become liberated from fear and doubt,
And you transcend the limits your ego has created.
The great philosopher Bruce Lee said,
Be like water,
Making its way through cracks.
Do not be assertive,
But adjust to the object,
And you shall find a way around or through it.
If nothing within you stays rigid,
Outward things will disclose themselves.
Empty your mind,
Be formless,
Shapeless,
Like water.
Powerful.
Each time you show up with grace,
Or you meditate,
Or you practice present moment awareness,
You get one baby step closer to spirit slowly peeling away your automatic reactions,
So that you can awaken the peace that already resides inside of you.
It all starts with our thoughts.
As the Buddha said,
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts,
We create the world.
Meditation is the key.
It slows the world around us,
So it flows to us in slow motion.
Yoga citta vritti nirodha.
With each meditation,
With each day that we spend in the present moment,
We cultivate our ability to quiet the mind and slow our thoughts.
As you listen to me,
Your thoughts are focused,
But if we stop here for a moment and just listen to our thoughts,
Just listen,
Then they begin to pour in.
We can guide them,
And that happens by getting clear on our intentions.
The ancient book,
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishads says,
You are your deepest driving desire.
As are your desires,
So is your will.
As is your will,
So is your deed.
As is your deed,
So is your destiny.
Desires lead to intentions.
Intentions lead to our will.
Our will leads to our actions,
And our actions become our destiny.
So how about if each day we could have the intention to let go a little bit more?
The intention to let go of resisting the moment.
Then choose the most magnificent intention.
Why not big,
Beautiful,
Grand intentions that elevate you?
Does that raise your vibration?
I've often said the highest vibration always wins.
Where can you raise your own vibration?
Nourishing intentions allow you to love more,
Flow more,
Forgive more,
Help more,
Nourish more.
See the miracles around you,
And that will make it easier for greater miracles to grow.
One of the most powerful aspects of intentions is that we spend too much time trying to manifest things outside of us.
We place so much time and attention on the seeds,
The seed for a pile of money,
The seed for a soulmate,
The seed for how this next moment is supposed to unfold.
But the most beautiful thing that we can do is not worry so much about the seeds.
Instead,
Let's put our attention on the soil.
Think about that concept.
It's not a thing that you want,
It's who you are going to be.
How are you going to show up for this moment?
If we really think about attracting a soulmate into our life,
Is it about hoping,
Wishing,
And begging?
Or is it about us raising our vibration to truly attract something,
Someone that is worthy of us,
Of our magnificent expression?
The most perfect seed in the world cannot grow in a barren garden.
The most magnificent seed on the planet can't grow on a rock on the side of a cliff.
But till the soil in the garden of your heart,
Make it fertile,
Nourish it.
And when it's so rich,
So ripe,
So ready,
Then any seed that comes into it will manifest.
Isn't that fascinating how we spend so much more time on the seeds and very little time on the soil?
So let's dive a little deeper into a practice.
Close your eyes and take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And ever so gently let that go.
Let's do that one more time.
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Then release it.
As you witness your breath right now,
Notice that your mind is calming.
Notice that your body is relaxing.
Witness the breath as it flows into your nose,
Moves to the back of your throat,
Goes down deep into your belly.
And witness the breath as it moves back up and out through your nose.
Simply witness.
Simply watch.
Simply observe.
Notice that the swirl outside of you and inside of you is slowing down just a bit.
There's nowhere else to be.
There's nothing else to do except to be right here.
Right now in this sacred,
Precious,
Present moment.
And as you breathe,
Notice that there's a space between your inhale and your exhale.
It's just a flicker.
It's just a millisecond.
You breathe in,
Then there's that space.
And then you exhale.
Then you breathe in again.
And there's that flicker of space.
And then you flow into your exhale.
That space is your still point.
That's who you truly are.
The space between.
The space between your breaths.
The space between your heartbeats.
The space between your breaths.
Space between your heartbeats.
Space between your thoughts.
That is who you truly are.
That is your space of peace.
At the top of our next inhale,
Let's see if we can lengthen that space just a beat.
Just one beat before we flow into our exhale.
Don't force,
Don't concentrate.
You breathe in,
You arrive at that space and you just lengthen it a beat before flowing into the exhale.
You are lengthening the peace inside of you.
Effortlessly.
Notice that your exhale is slowing,
Your inhale is slowing,
And that space of peace is growing inside of you.
This is how we create peace of mind.
Now let's invite an intention into our awareness.
Not a thing that we want,
But go deeper.
Make it a state of mind,
A state of being,
A trait,
A quality,
A characteristic you want to embrace at a higher level.
Don't worry so much about the seed right now.
Your heart knows what you need,
Your heart knows what you want.
Let's establish the soil.
Let's embrace the best expression of ourself.
We can do that by asking,
Who do I want to be when I show up?
Who is the being that is going to show up today?
What's the best version of me that I can be just for today?
Reflect on this trait or quality or characteristic you want to amplify.
Fill up just for today.
And take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And let it go.
And when it feels comfortable,
You can slowly open your eyes.
And today our peace practice is trifold.
First of all,
When we're done with this session together,
Let's write down,
And don't be vague,
What trait,
Quality,
Or characteristic do you want to embody today?
Who do you want to be today?
What are all those aspects of yourself that are going to show up just for today?
The second part of our peace practice is to embrace the metta prayer.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
As you move throughout the day,
Whenever you notice that your mind is turbulent or that you crave something outside of yourself,
Feel free to say out loud or silently,
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Move into the next moment and let the intention you planted ripple you into the next moment.
And our third bonus peace practice for today is to give us a little reminder.
Remember that in every moment you have a choice,
Grievance or miracle.
Grievance or miracle.
Which one will you feed today?
Choose miracles.
On behalf of Insight Timer,
In the sweet spot of the universe,
This is davidji.
Wishing you a day of peace.
