A peaceful mind is something most of us desire. Some of us spend a lot of time and energy seeking this through hour long, weekly classes, self-help books and podcasts, and guided relaxation. All of these things are helpful tools. And to find lasting peace takes a transformation of the mind. It takes integrating a peaceful mind as a lifestyle so you can shift habits and patterns that keep you from peace, despite having 100 different tools in your tool box.

Over Greg’s recent fall break, we finally got ourselves over to Hallim Park, a botanical garden that also has lava tubes I’ve been wanting to see. The park was started in 1971 from an environment that was mostly sand and lava rock, first planting seeds of California Palms and they took hold and grew. These palms tower over ‘Palm Lane’ as I reflected on the persistence and commitment of the visionaries who created the park. I marveled at what it must have taken to be consistent in nourishment of the vision and of each individual plant.

My mind often thinks about gardening when I share about the process of calming the mind and mental wellbeing. Most people view these two things as tasks to be performed instead of a way of life. The latter is what is required for a calm, peaceful mind state.

MIND AS A GARDEN

A gardener sees a plot of land and feels its potential. Some land is fertile with the earth bursting with all the nourishment needed for a seed to grow. Other land needs a lot of time and effort put into mending its soil before it is ready to grow a new bounty.

The minds of human beings are also on a continuum from ‘ready to go’ to ‘harsh and inhospitable’ when it comes to changing and growing. Where would you place your mind at? How ready is it to become calm and peaceful?

If you don’t meet your mind where it’s at, cultivating change is going to be much harder and take much longer. At times it will feel like you are going around in circles like running in a hamster wheel.

When you accept where you are at, right now, then you can gather the resources needed to make the desired change. You will be more successful in the long term because you spent time creating a mental environment that is ready to nourish the seeds of peace, love, and joy.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR MIND NEEDS NOURISHMENT?

What makes the environment of the mind more harsh and inhospitable?

Fear.

A mind that has been engulfed by fear will only create more fear. Not only is the environment more harsh but there may even be fungus and disease that has taken over. This must be addressed along with mending the soil.

How much time does your mind spend worrying, doubting, judging, resenting? Is this something you would like to experience less of in your life?

SCIENCE OF LASTING HAPPINESS

From neuroscientist Richard Davidson’s research, there are 4 different brain circuits involved in creating lasting happiness. One of them is “the ability to recover from negative states.” What’s more, this is completely separate from the brain circuit that is involved with “the ability to maintain positive states.” A brain can be more efficient at one and not the other.

So, just being positive doesn’t necessarily help a person get out of a negative mind state. You can be a positive person and still struggle with negative emotional reactions. Fear can still take over the most positive brain!

What more, Davidson’s work has also identified “four pillars of wellbeing” that can be cultivated – “awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.”  All four of these have been increased in my life and in the lives of people I’ve worked with over the years, through the principles and practices of Traditional Yoga. The principles and practices of Yoga have a common theme – turning awareness inward and exploring our inner world to more fully understand ourselves.

When we understand ourselves, it ripples out to understanding other human beings and the world. Instead of creating separation, self-understanding cultivates connection, insight, and purpose.

These inner resources are often overlooked in a world that is grasping for ‘quick-fixes’ and short-cuts to mental wellbeing. As someone who has been working in the mental health field for over two decades, I haven’t come across a ‘shortcut’ that works in creating a more lasting calm and peaceful mindset.

SHORTEST DISTANCE RATHER THAN A SHORTCUT

If I had to name a shortcut, it would be choosing the path with the shortest distance. The solution that is the shortest distance to calming the mind is the one that addresses where the mind is at – inside of you! 

Think of this as a workout called ‘Innercise.’ I first heard this term from Kristine Weber and for a culture that focuses on the body and exercise, it’s a term for actions that cultivate inner awareness and inner strength. By making sure you get daily ‘Innercise’, you will be able to walk this ‘shortest’ path to mental wellbeing. Facing yourself and the moment is the shortest way through it.

What I have found through my work is that those individuals who stop and face the situation, move to acceptance of the present moment. What’s more, by doing this over and over again, they tend to notice that within a few months, their emotional distress and reactions decrease remarkably. By accepting the state of ‘the soil’ in the mind, a calm mind state is more available because energy is going into addressing the real cause, instead of a story that’s not actually happening.

It doesn’t take some brand new amazing discovery outside of us. A peaceful mind state is always available to us if we are willing to start facing the origin of a reaction. All reactions start within our mind-body system. And even just a simple change like accepting what is happening can have profound shifts in our life.

NO EFFORT WASTED FOR A PEACEFUL MIND

The ancient Yogis have known this for thousands of years. In the Bhagavad Gita, a Traditional Yoga text, the wise teacher, Krishna, states, “In this (Yoga) there is neither waste of effort nor possibility of evil results. Even a little practice of this (Yoga) delivers one from great fear.” (BG 2.40, Swami Paramananda commentary)

Changing our brain and mind circuitry does take time and consistent effort. But even small amounts of effort can yield shifts in daily life. Those shifts help to motivate a seeker to continue the practices to see where else they might possibly lead. 

The sprout of a California Palm that bursts out of its seed, motivates the gardener to keep the schedule of nourishment of that plant until it becomes strong enough to thrive on its own. Shifting the mind from a negative state to a positive one requires more of your attention, focus, and discipline until a new habit forms. Once the habits become a part of your lifestyle and how you operate, you no longer have to put in the same effort. The habit takes over and grows you to new heights of possibility.

Start with learning how to accept the present moment until it happens effortlessly from your persistence and commitment.

Shanti.

P.S. I’m available to connect and chat if you want to know more about how you can bring the Traditional Yoga process into your daily life and find lasting calm in the mind. Contact me to schedule a consultation.

 

Resources: 

1. Dalai Lama [Tenzin Gyatso] and Desmond Tutu. 2016. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.
2. Davidson, Dr. Richard. The 4 Pillars of Well-Being, Podcast #74, www.mindfulexercises.com