You’ve read the quintessential books on mindfulness and finding inner peace. Yet, somehow, you still haven’t found inner peace on your own. You may be starting to wonder if you’re doing something wrong.
A lot of people think of mindfulness as mindlessness, because it’s all about emptying your mind and allowing it just to be. It’s a funny paradox, and it’s often discouraging to people who focus all their energy on becoming mindful or discovering their inner peace but don’t have any results to show for it.
That’s because it takes time and patience. Inner peace is a concept unlike any other. You can’t just read a book about it and call it a day. It will come in due time, but while you’re waiting for that time to come, here are a few things that may be holding you back from achieving your aim.
1 – Peace Does Not Mean Unconsciousness
It’s normal to feel the most at peace when you’re unconscious. Sleeping is peaceful, right? It’s widely thought that peace can be found when you’re unconscious or desensitized to life. In reality, peace is the exact opposite. It’s a heightened awareness of the body and mind. Be sure to differentiate these two concepts, and don’t default to vices and naps to find your peace.
2 – You’re Searching for Peace, not Happiness
Peace and happiness are often talked about together, but they’re two separate states of mind. Happiness connotes a sense of euphoria – a reason to celebrate and smile. With peace, it’s not so much about excitement and laughing as it is about being still and quieting your mind. Peace is what arms you with resilience to be present throughout life’s ups and downs; happiness is what brings enjoyment to your life.
3 – All You can Focus On is Tomorrow (and Yesterday)
Do you ever wake up in the morning and limit your mind to thinking about today? It can be challenging to do that. However, peace is found when focusing on today, not ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.
4 – You can’t Seem to Be Present
Many yoga instructors and mindfulness mentors teach students about the present moment. These types of practices emphasize how important it is to be aware of each moment. Your mind may constantly be wandering, so if that’s the case, try to ground your awareness in one moment. Breathing techniques are a good place to start with this.
5 – You’re Not Allowing Yourself to Trust
Trust what? Who is there to trust? Every religion and belief system has its own attachment to trust, but the root of all beliefs is the same: Faith. Have faith in yourself and your practices and allow your mind to de-clutter all of the negative thoughts telling you that it won’t work. Believe that it will work, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
