How can you step into peacefulness when you are under pressure? And, is it possible to meditate while you are moving or when you are busy focusing on tasks that are critical? Here are a few methods to explore.
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Reflection contains the remedy.
One method for stepping into peacefulness under pressure is reflection. In this blog’s image you can see the reeds are tall and straight in the sunlight but the ripples on the surface of the water distorts it. The reflection on the surface optically warps the image and the stalks appear bent. This is the truth of your capacity to look inwards to natural peace and ride the wave of pressure as it comes.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement to truth.
Isaiah 42:3 King James Version [KJV]
Peacefulness is always there. Stress distorts our thoughts, affects how and what we perceive and it also increases pressure. Flip the pressure with reflection. Move back into a peaceful opposite, to more clarity and an empowered state. Be still. Be present. Focus. Allow the source of distortion to reveal itself and be clarified.
Your power position- Presence.
By being pulled by conditions we lose focus and our own power. Return to your centre. Retrieve your power and recognize the distortion for what it is. Intuitively you will know. It will feel right to question and step back from what is knocking you off balance and steering your observation in one direction. Patterns caused by old traumas and disappointments could steer you in the “looking for evidence” direction. Could you be completely wrong?
Listen to your Intuition.
Being present is powerful. It dominates the past and the future for it is possible to change things NOW. Stress can resurface because something hasn’t healed from the past. Listen to your intuition. Inner peace is possible even with psychological wounds. Just recognize it for what it is and return to it when you are ready. In the meantime, change your stress load with cultivating more calm and peaceful mindsets. These can be learned with regular meditation practice and your own breath.
Inner sanctuaries.
Creating your own inner “happy place” to calm down and regroup will save you a lot of trouble and give you time to make better decisions. This inner mind space can be whatever brings you happiness. It can be visualizing a lounge chair on a lake shore. It can be an imaginary cozy chair by a fireplace. It can be remembering standing in your nana’s kitchen baking bread and enjoying a conversation. You get to decide. By just taking a few moments to breath it in, it is possible to allow the ripples of pressure pass over you and allow you a moment to think more clearly.
This technique is mentioned in the article below.
Focal points.
When we are really focused, it is possible to blot out everything else. The sounds, the demands, the chaos and the fear. Learn to concentrate through meditation and visualization. Both, train the mind to be still and observe in more detail. This ability will also allow you to clear out a lot of distractions in your own mind and move you into a stronger, peaceful mindset. Small sessions will build strength and more focus. A win-win.
Stillness.
Stopping yourself for a moment, breathing deeply, closing your eyes lets you tune into inner peace. So much is demanded of us that just “being” make us feel lazy. But it is essential to learn how to let things fall away and go with the flow. It releases pressure and draws us back to peace that is already there. Mini respites; even two minutes and walk into a garden can ease some of the pressure.
Travel inward.
Your imagination can free you from pressure. Allow it to offer images and humour and add snapshots of happiness into your day. Conversations replayed and reframed can lead us to focus more sharply on what matters. It cleanses the mental palate and re-sets it for more intense observation and high performance tasks.
Meaning in the little things.
Finding meaning in your experience can change your perspective of difficult conditions and be used to empower you. Appreciating the little things. Your morning coffee. The sunshine. Your plants and pets. Watching birds. Listening to music or enjoying early morning silence. Expand your “in the moment” experiences. It will change your perception of what is causing stress and distortion in your life.
A Relaxed Body.
Navigate through pressure by understanding how to relax. Know how you breathe to release tension in your body. Isolate stiffness and stretch it out. Despite chaos, it is possible to be relaxed and present.
Nature: Cleanse and Heal your own Energy.
Walking in nature can cleanse your energy and release pressure. Short walks in a park, through a forest, along a river or ocean or just sitting under a tree or relaxing in a private garden is healing. The sounds, the smell and the energy can release negative energy and soothe stress. Even if we plug in ear buds and listen to ocean waves on a coffee break, we are allowing the mind to balance and reset itself and return to it’s natural default state of peacefulness.
Active Meditation.
One of the most interesting ways to purge pressure and find your peacefulness is through active meditation. This is the label I created to explain it. Here is one example. Imagine diving into water and establishing a rhythm with your arm strokes and breathing. You lose your thoughts in the repetitive movement and you are able to clear your mind while you glide forward. You re-set to peacefulness as you swim. Negative thoughts roll off you and float away. You can feel and imagine yourself moving forward. In the moment, there is peacefulness.
You can use active meditation to enter into a meditative state in many other types of exercise where there is repetition; running, cycling, walking, yoga etc. Lose yourself in repetitive movement and your own breath. Being active is a stress-reliever, but using sessions to re-set the mind while you move is incredibly empowering. Both are needed to discern distortion and allow the pressure to roll over us, especially when we feel bruised by events, people and our own thoughts.
Stress can escalate if your tolerance for change and distortion are low. And, it can amplify when demands for your attention and time are high. It makes sense to strengthen your inner fortress through learning how to step into peacefulness under pressure. There are many ways you can purge stress and re-set yourself. Peacefulness is always there. Return to that centre. Find Focus. Be powerfully present.
Have a peaceful week.
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wow, awesome article. Much thanks again. Want more. Vicky Esteban Cacilie
The article is truly helpful as well as genuinely inspiring.
Thank you. Your comments are appreciated.