5 Ancient Secrets for Modern Inner Peace
Dear Beloveds,
If you are feeling as if you are running from one stressful situation to another, you may be in the hold of ego. I get it, as an ambitious woman on a mission to change the world, I get that way myself and need to reboot my spiritual GPS every morning with my sadhana (discipline–aka my meditation). Part of my daily discipline is to make a cup of tea before the kids are up, read spiritual texts, reflect on them, journal about them and then do my meditation. Today, I was feeling particularly anxious about my book launch (it’s in less than 3 weeks), and the list of to-do’s to keep my children, career, household and body on track. I opened a Kriya Yoga text by M. Govindan and Jan Ahlund and tapped spiritual gold. Here’s a summary of what I found that can serve you when you are feeling stressed, impatient and in need of some soul TLC. Disclaimer: this is my own interpretation, their’s is much more elegant 🙂
Step #1 Check your desires: Desires for things (car, bigger twitter following, better butt, NYT Bestseller status) are all ego-based. Your ego is a tyrant. Think of your ego as the Donald Trump who cares more about his next skyscraper than your soul’s wellbeing, except he’s stuck inside of you, driving you to do things for the sake of…well, no sake, just an unconscious, insatiable desire to win, own, be hot, gain power, and triumph. I have this, and so do you. The level of control we have over our tyrannical inner DT is directly proportionate to how much we cultivate the why of our lives.
Step #2 Ask Why: Why do you want what you want? I felt a huge impulse to want a Tesla the other day (I mean, could a car be any sexier?!) and then my husband said, “Why?” And I couldn’t answer him. As we cruised down the road in our 2006 Prius, I couldn’t say it was for the environment (although…) and I couldn’t say it was for the kids…then I said, “Because it’s sexy, fast and I bet can take turns way better than our Prius, poor Prius, have you seen the mileage?!” But none of those reasons were compelling enough and soon the desire to go out and find a way to get a Tesla was gone and we were happily driving to the Zoo with Mia dozing in the backseat. I remained happy, without the Tesla. You see, the ego always wants what is outside of your soul, it always drives you to desire something you don’t have within you, something material, and then when you don’t get it, you are forced into being unhappy, again. The ego doesn’t understand that true joy and abundance is within us at all times. The garden of Eden isn’t on a yacht, it’s in our soul (cool if your soul happens to be on a yacht!). But the ego is a strong-willed child of desire, and you need to train it so it doesn’t run your life. So, when you feel a desire to want something, ask the big WHY? You’ll find the answer to why may be the ego’s shallow desire to keep up with the Kardashians or some other random, meaningless tyranny that is keeping you from total inner peace and joy.
Step #3 Cultivate your Aspirations: Aspirations are the conscious versions of your desires. Each time you feel the desire for that Tesla, that bigger house, that next possession, instead move toward aspiration. Aspiration is the opposite of desire. It’s the Antidote, the cure for ego. The ego desires to be separate from others, to be special and better, to move away and be exclusive, but aspirations are yearnings from within your soul that are reaching for connection, oneness, Divinity, love, and purity of your mind and heart. While the ego drives intimacy away, aspiration draws it near. You will still have to work for your aspirations, but that work will be inner work, gracious and without the level of anxiety and stress that comes from reaching for an outer ego-desire that can never sate your real hunger for meaning. Aspirations are our true work here on the planet. Aspiring creates beauty, and it cultivates your being to help, serve, unify and love–which are the actual means of happiness.
Step #4 Avoid Impatience: The authors of this particular book (Kriya Yoga: Insights along the path) nailed one of the greatest truths with this point and I don’t need to rewrite it in my words, here’s what they wrote: “Avoid impatience, it only brings doubt, unworthiness, or rebellion.” I can see this being a great tip for parenting as well, it seems the more I rush my kids the more they dig in their darling heels. Being impatient with yourself and others is another form or your ego’s tyranny. This is a great mantra to offset your impatience: All love, energy, results and satisfactions come effortlessly through my patience.
Step #5 Be the Witness: Spend time each day watching life happening around you from the “God seat.” Breathe, watch, avoid judging and just observe with an equanimous mind what is happening around you. Be the witness and see the beauty and joy all around you. Even if you’re in a bad situation, by seeing the world from the “God seat” you will be able to find the beauty, or at least find the door that leads to a better life of beauty and peace.
I hope these steps will open your mind and heart to the great You that we all love and adore. I look forward to your responses below, conversing with you is an aspiration I have and I love hearing your ideas and insights.
With Love,
Zhena
