Finding yourself” is not really how it works. You aren’t a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions and innaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. “Finding yourself” is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, and excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.
– Emily McDowell
You do indeed have a past, but not now! And, yes, you have a future, but not now! You can consume your now with thoughts of ‘then’ and ‘maybe,’ but that will keep you from the inner peace you could experience. – Wayne Dyer
Practice “Be where your hands are”
There was a time when I thought peace was a destination, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness or success.
It seemed like something I needed to chase or find—definitely not something I could experience without dramatically changing my life.
I needed to work less, relax more, and generally revamp my circumstances and relationships in order to be a peaceful person.
Despite seeing peace as an endpoint, I also saw it as something passive; after all, that’s why I was so stressed: I had so much to do.
I’ve since realized that peace is always available, and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails consciously choosing to be still.
Sure, our circumstances affect our mental state, but they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our well-being.
Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response to things that have happened.
But it’s not. There are countless things we can do to create peace of mind, both in response to events in our lives, and proactively everyday.
The final minute or so of this video got cut off! It was the reading of the Mindfulness portion of the workout, and we are so sorry for the issue. Please enjoy the quote and email me if you have any questions or just want to share your perspective. 🙂
Things you need:
Chair
Rolled towel
Weight is optional
Warmup
10 → 1 of the following:
High knees or Marching
Mountain climbers
Squats
Mobility/Movement
PVC Uex Mobility
Thoracic Rolled Towel
Angels and Devils
WOD
30” work / 10” rest
4x rounds
Sit to stand (single leg eccentric option)
Step tap / up R
Step tap / up L
Alt Side plank rot
Feet-on bridges
Butterfly lift hold
Cooldown/Correctives
Mobility Flow
Mindfulness
Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard-work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.