SIX WEEKS of GRATITUDE – week five PEACE

I grew up on a small island off the coast of Maine. The population was 500. On Christmas Eve, everyone was home, quiet, with no traffic, and we experienced a night of peace on Earth – or so I thought. In my naivete, as a child, I believed everyone on earth was observing peace on that holy night. I thought to myself how wonderful this was and wondered why we couldn't be at peace forever if the world could be at peace for one night. I did not realize that a world with different cultures and beliefs existed apart from mine, and although my little village was experiencing peace, not everyone else was. To this day, I still take a moment on Christmas Eve and wish the whole world could find one day to be at peace. What a wonderful thing to experience – peace on earth for everyone. Lesson - We all have wants and desires, thoughts, and emotions that Yoga calls chitta, or mind disturbances. The entire outside world is based upon our thoughts and mental attitude. However, our values may change within a fraction of a second, and what might be meaningful in one moment may be meaningless in the next. So, Yoga reminds us not to focus so much on changing the outside world but rather seek to change our inside world. If you can control your mind, you can control everything; in this, you will find peace. But why can't we have peace on earth? Humans are not free from personal motives and expectations. If we could free the human mind from selfishness and greed, the world would become a place of peace. Peace means being content with what comes into your life and goes out of your life. It's not easy for humans to do. If we truly want to find peace on earth, it begins within each of us. Be aware and grateful for the moments of peace you experience. The more we practice gratitude for the ability to experience inner peace, the more peace we establish within, and the more peace we can project onto the world. END: If we truly want to find peace on earth, it begins within each of us. Be aware and grateful for the moments of peace you experience. The more we practice gratitude for the ability to experience inner peace, the more peace we establish within, and the more peace we can project onto the world. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend out your index finger – the symbol of the ego. Karma yoga teaches us to work selflessly without any personal expectations. Selflessness is not an easy task. That is why we must prepare the ego to find contentment and happiness and perform actions for other's sake. Selflessness does not mean self-denial; we seek through our selflessness to help others, and in this, we find inner peace. Pull your finger in and place the thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. You are now sitting here in a moment of inner peace. Be grateful for this moment and remember it, for if we all could find more moments of peace, perhaps we could bring peace to the world. Be grateful for peace. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations and more http://www.doctorlynn.com