While many people set concrete goals like losing weight, saving money or traveling as part of their New Year's resolutions, I would like to invite you to consider renewing your spirit instead this year. The noble practice of tending to your inner spiritual light and cultivating a sense of peace in your heart may not seem so inviting, but the payoffs are tremendous! When we shift the focus from how we look on the outside to how we feel on the inside, great rewards can be gained and new insights achieved. Our soul is calling us home to true selves, if we take the time to listen.
Essentially, by renewing your spirit through regular daily meditation, you will avail yourself of a reservoir of peace and contentment that surpasses all material gains and desires. Additionally, you can learn to let the peace you feel in meditation ground and support you in your daily life and thus offer a more relaxed and calm approach to situations. Imagine sitting quietly, starting each day with full deep breaths, breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth while focusing on relaxing every fiber of your being. After a time of following this soothing breath, you could then concentrate on breathing in the feeling of peace and breathing out any residual stress or worries. Once an inner stillness is felt, you could then sit and bask in this serenity, while enjoying the sense of being fully in the present moment, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. After this period of quietude, you can then use this powerful energy of inner tranquility to guide you and empower you with the greatest vision of your life.
Some of the greatest authors, artists and musicians have received their inspiration through quiet contemplative times. You too can receive inspiration for your life when you learn to tune in to the inner stillness of your soul. When you are calm and focused, your spirit can then use you as a vehicle for the expression of love, peace and creativity in this world. Answers to problems you face in your day to day life can be revealed through deep listening. Stress, struggle and worry tend to disconnect us from our true nature and our inner guidance. When unduly stressed, our physical vitality may become weak, sleep may be difficult and sickness can set in. Meditation brings us back home to ourselves, to our life force and to our innate self- healing power.
