Our circle of influence may not always extend to shaping the political agenda. Yet it is always within our power to influence our state of being. When I have been around individuals that radiate an inner peace outwards, it influences those around them. My own inner conflicts have been brought to silence in their presence. Within our being we can access harmony, stillness, compassion and peace.
The inner journey to our centre involves purification of our senses through practices such as meditation, especially when our mind is constantly bombarded with images from the outer world.
First meditation brings to awareness that we cannot consciously control our thoughts and we also start seeing a pattern to them. We can then label the thoughts as worry, fear, anxiety, guilt and other emotions. Labelling the thoughts allows us to understand them and to gently let them go in order to focus our awareness on a single point like our breath or a mantra.
After some time, the thoughts start to drop and we experience moments of stillness. This stillness is where we connect to our peaceful centre that transcends conflicts, dualities, doubts and fears….Instead we experience supreme peace and oneness.
The practice of meditation and recentering is an ongoing process, since our awareness needs constant purification. Once we have mental clarity from a blissful mind, then our actions in the world also display harmony and peace. In this process, we can transform the world through our personal transformation. Change does start with you and without inner work first even noble intentions may only result in tension, which is contrary to the purpose of spiritual growth.
