You Don’t Need A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat To Find Peace

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What does living a peaceful life mean to you?

For me it means silencing self-doubt, being in the moment and feeling connected to my body. It is knowing that any thought that enters my brain is okay, but it is also okay to let that thought pass without obsessing over it and going into a dark place.

More than anything peace to me means letting that shit go. It means softening into my decisions, actions and things that I have already done. If I had a bad day at work and felt like I could have handled a situation better, instead of being hard on myself I find peace by knowing I did the best I could in that moment.

Instead of pondering with girlfriends “why didn’t he text me back?”

I find peace in knowing that if this person can’t see my value, it is not my job to prove how awesome I am. Just being me is more than enough.

Throughout my travels I have found the most rewarding and easiest way to find peace is through yoga. It gives me an inner power, self-confidence and is the perfect mental reset. A friend and me always divulge in the fact that when we let ourselves be our “kid selves” it is our best selves. Whether that means doing yoga, dancing like nobody is watching or singing at the top of our lungs; any type of this positive expression leads me to happiness.

Another platform where I find happiness is through the creative process of flow. Flow is that sweet spot where you are doing an activity where time stands still. When I allow myself to play and explore it is when I am truly the most at peace.

The journey to inner peace is never a smooth one, since we are constantly evolving and learning more about ourselves.

The ebb and flow of life is what makes life worth living. The downs we experience and darkness make the light that much more luminescent and stunning.

I don’t expect to find the ultimate peace and say, “Wow this is it I have made it! I’m happy now.” In our modern world of self-help books and smart phones we always want the quick fix. But, no secret Shaman in Bali can do it; no fancy retreat and not one energy healer is the answer.

The answer to finding peace is within ourselves, and forming daily habits that correspond with the simple things that truly make us happy.