Here and Now

You belong in the here and now. Inner peace and tranquility come from spending more time and energy being fully present, in the moment, rather than searching for these experiences in external circumstances, or the future. 

A mindful perspective can bring you home, into the here and now. In this context, home is not a physical place. It’s a state of Self-awareness and acceptance of the present reality. Of course, acceptance doesn’t mean you have to put up with, for example, bad behaviour from others. When you truly accept what is, as it is, right here and now, you put yourself in a better position to recognise what you need to do next. Your mind is clearer and more focused when you’re present. 

In Buddhism and mindfulness practices, “home” usually symbolises inner peace. The “here and now” represents the present moment as the only reality we truly have to access a sense of peace. When we’re grounded in the present, rather than dwelling on the past or obsessing about the future, we remove the obstacles to presence and make way for inner peace. 

We can experience a sense of deep, inner peace in the core of our soul, in our Self, which is sacred. We are meant to spend more time and energy at home in our Sacred Self. The outside world will always call us away from inner peace. That’s life, however, part of our purpose in life is to remember to return to a state of inner peace, once we recognise we’ve lost it. 

Practice this Sacred Rest Meditation: 

You’re about to enter a sense of inner peace for the next few moments.

• Close your eyes.
• With a sense of a clear blue sky above you, let it fill your mind with its clear, calming energy.
• Tell your mind to pause. Tell your body to pause.
• As you focus on your heart, breathe in a sense of relaxation, and as you exhale, let it spread throughout your body.
• Take another breath in and out, feeling more relaxed.
• Inhale and exhale and as relaxation deepens let your body sink into the sanctuary of your Sacred Self. 
• Rest here for a few moments, allowing the flow of peace to wash through you.
• When you’re ready open your eyes.

Make peace a habit. Simply pause, relax, rest and flow. We can always return to a state of inner peace, after we recognise we’ve lost it.