5 Ways to Cultivate the Silence Within
Many of us spend our lives searching for inner peace. We look for it in our thoughts, our surroundings, perhaps in the food that we eat, the people who we choose to be with; however, we can’t look for peace outside and assimilate it within us at the same time. We have to create a silence within us for peace to reside, and we have to look at life from the vantage point of this silence. Only then can we be in a state of bliss.
So here are five ways to cultivate the silence within:
1. Spend five minutes every day observing your thoughts. Make an effort during these five minutes to sit in non-judgment. Let your thoughts pass through your mind. Also, make an effort to avoid reliving the emotions brought about by these thoughts, be they positive or negative.
2. Start your day before those in your house do. Even if it’s just fifteen minutes early, spend those first fifteen minutes of the day with yourself. Water your plants. Drink lukewarm lemon and honey water. Stretch. Smile. Read. Making this daily commitment will help you to nurture a more fulfilling relationship with yourself, and this will ensure a better quality day and life.
3. Pursue an extra-curricular activity with passion. If you’ve always wanted to learn photography, do so now. If you’ve always wanted to learn krav maga, do so now. If you’ve always wanted to start a yoga practice, start now. Making time and putting in the effort to pursue something you’ve been putting off creates a behavioral pattern which tells you that what you want to do can be fulfilling, and enables you to put yourself first.
4. Accept the situation and work around it. You might not like your job, or your neighbor or your current haircut, but until you can change it, your only choice is to deal with it. So deal with it.
5. Breathe deeply. Breathe whether you are stressed, overwhelmed, happy, annoyed, joyful, irritated, elated, blissful, worried, tired, energetic, optimistic, pessimistic, disappointed, fascinated or delighted. Always breathe.
About the Author
Join the Internal Selfie Revolution
Have you joined the selfie revolution? Since Robert Cornelius took the first selfie in 1839, humans have been fascinated, if not obsessed, with snapping images of themselves. People now take selfies for many reasons, such as telling a story and capturing memories.
Did you know that people have been taking internal selfies since time immemorial, well at least several thousand BCE? It’s called meditation! It’s nothing mysterious or fancy. All you have to do is turn your camera inward and snap a picture of your current state of mind: What do you see?
Some early forms of meditative introspection included ritual dance, reciting mantra, and sitting crossed-legged under a Bodhi tree. Today, the meditation movement has captured the world’s attention. We are learning to turn our minds inward everywhere from the gym, yoga and tai chi class, the office and at our desks, in the classroom, and the boardroom.
Ready to begin your own mindfulness journey? It’s easy. Get your camera and join the Internal Selfie Revolution! Here’s how to start your practice today.
The Psychology of the Selfie
Why do we retake our image multiple times in order to get it just right before hitting send? On a superficial level, a selfie is casual, easy way to communicate a snapshot of yourself in-the-moment. It may be used as verification or to document change. However, a selfie also give us valuable information. From a selfie we can assess our:
- Appearance
- Thoughts
- Emotions
- Feelings
How to Take an Internal Selfie: The Basics
Now try turning your camera inside. Take a peek into your own brain. Let your Internal Selfie develop into an image or sensation – it might have a distinct shape, specific texture, or even a splash of color. Examine your internal snapshot as it manifests: try not to judge, reject, embrace or explain it. Just look at it directly and be curious!
