As human beings we all encounter adversity at different times in our lives. It is natural, normal and is hopefully part of how we advance as a society.
When you are facing adversity in your life, usually it has been created in two ways-
- It has been created by your thoughts, feelings, actions and choices to help you shift or change.
- It was agreed upon as part of your soul contract and is here to help advance your soul to the next level.
While changes and soul advancement doesn’t necessarily have to be created through adversity, it is often in the more challenging times that we learn to really tap into our wisdom and strength in order to pull through. It is also through times of adversity that we really learn about ourselves.
It is safe to say that most of us desire a more peaceful life. A life that is not necessarily free of adversity, but one where we can hold the power and the strength to face adversity in a peaceful way. But in order to face adversity peacefully, we first must become peaceful within our own selves first.
In fact, the energy we create on the inside is truly a reflection of the energy we create on the outside. It is often our internal environment that dictates what we are creating in our physical reality.
Often when we work on obtaining true inner peace, our physical world responds in kind without any additional effort or struggle. When we are at peace we start reflecting peace and suddenly adversity seems to dissolve on its own.
It has happened time and time again where people will have problems with co-workers, the law, financial institutions, friends, lovers and business partners and these problems seem to simply melt away when true peace has been found from within.
Problems never go away until they teach us what we need to learn, and once we have learnt all that we can, they are cleared up by the Universe, hopefully never to return again.
In order to reach this ‘clean up’ phase quicker and with minimal damage, it really can help to work on our thoughts and feelings (internal environment) first.
Finding inner peace can seem tricky in times of adversity, however here are 5 places that you can start:
Deep Breathing
Learning how to take a few minutes out and just focus on your breath is an easy way to help restore peace and harmony to your body. If you find your inner world being rocked by countless thoughts or strong emotions, take a break, find a quiet place, close your eyes and just allow yourself to breathe deeply for at least 1 minute. It is amazing how this can calm your mind, your heart and center your energy. Allowing oxygen to circulate through your body can also help you to find clarity.
Drinking Water
Water is truly the building blocks of life, so ensuring that your cells are hydrated can help you to release stress and evoke peace. When you feel your inner stress rising and your inner peace dissolving, take a moment to drink a tall, refreshing glass of water. In this moment try to visualise the water entering your body and nourishing and healing your cells. Try to visualise the water comforting you and bringing a sense of calm and peace into your body. Water can also help speed up the removal of energetic toxins in your body, so staying hydrated can also help you to release repetitive thoughts and see things more clearly.
Exercising
Moving and stretching your body is a great way to clear your mind and refocus your energy within. If you feel yourself getting anxious or feeling tense, just a few minutes of exercise can help to stop this from becoming worse. If you can do this exercise outside, the effects will be even better. Exercising helps you to get your mind off things and places your awareness into your body. When you do this, it can help you to get a different perspective on the situation and it can also help you to release feel good hormones, which can put you in a positive mood so you can better tackle the situation.
Sleeping
You know the old saying- never go to bed angry? Well sometimes going to bed without resolving things can be a great way to reset your mind and release emotions without any effort. Sleeping also helps to relax and puts time and distance between you and the situation. This helps to take the emotional aspects out of the situation and can allow you to see things clearer. In the morning your mind is also usually sharper and more alert, which can be great for finding a solution or reaching a compromise. If you find yourself feeling overly emotional about a situation, allow yourself to feel the emotion as you fall asleep. It is likely that in the morning when you wake up, things may feel less emotional and you maybe able to see things with a newfound clarity.
Showering or Bathing
When you allow your body to soak in warm water, it helps to open your energy centers or chakras and allows you to cleanse away any energetic debris or toxins. These effects can be amplified if you use essential oils like lavender, sandalwood and chamomile. If you feel yourself getting agitated, angry or resentful about a situation, taking a bath can help to release these emotions and can help restore peace to your inner environment. As you bathe, it is important that you also visualise the negative energy being washed off your body and replaced with peace, love and understanding.
There are many other ways to help instil peace from within, but hopefully these five suggestions can start you off in the right direction.
It is impractical to wish for a life free of adversity, however you can create the tools to approach adversity with as much inner peace and awareness as possible.
“Welcome the present moment as if you had invited it. It is all we ever have so we might as well work with it rather than struggling against it. We might as well make it our friends and teacher rather than our enemy.”- Pema Chodron
