Inner Peace
This summer, the theme of our Hamblin Vision Membership Magazine is Inner Peace. As a taster, here is an article by our dear friend Emma Owen-Smith of the Green Door Centre (formerly the Hamblin Centre).
If you enjoy what you read here, you can purchase a download of the entire issue for just £2.99, or order a print copy. Purchase here
Emma Owen-Smith, Co-Visionista of The Green Door Centre, long-time yoga and meditation teacher, Shamanic therapist and Crystal, Sound and Reiki practitioner.
Is Inner Peace a state of being as elusive as a rainbow or can we learn to sustain and control it?
I this article we will look at a few famous quotes and discuss some reflections and ruminations that they have sparked.
“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.”
One of the great quandaries on the path to spiritual growth or awakening is how much to engage with the world at large. For the modern seeker to escape from the noise and demands of ‘the five sense telephones” (as my former teacher Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath’ used to call it) is quite a challenge and takes a determined effort. Technology can distract us at every turn; the media and its elaborate news stories competing for our energies and our emotions; drama, conspiracy and celebrity gossip drawing our curiosity close, not to mention endless scrolling of funny cat videos or whatever the algorithm serves up on social media.
For many people ‘inner peace’ isn’t really on the bucket list, instead what is desired is more time, more money, more space… the common denominator, of course, being more. But when we have more are we any happier? Recently, the entrepreneur and multi-millionaire Matt Fiddes said that he still has difficult ‘down’ days, and can easily get bored because once you have everything you desire, including time, what then? He communicated that nowadays he gets the most satisfaction helping others develop their businesses, not for money but the pleasure of teaching and sharing his long-acquired knowledge and skills.
Which brings us to the subject of finding meaning, and what is it that motivates us? Why do we do what we do? Does having an awareness of our inner goals bring us closer to inner peace- and what exactly IS inner peace anyway? My personal reflections from years of practising meditation and yoga is that one can arrive at the most deep and profound peaceful energy experience whilst ‘on the mat’, but that it is not a guaranteed state and that the vritis (fluctuations) of the mind can very easily break, disrupt, or distract from this experience. In Hinduism there is a prescribed system for how to live life called the ashramas. Firstly one is a student; secondly, a householder, who is expected to fulfil all worldly duties such as earning money, having a family and supporting their community; thirdly one will retire and gradually withdraw from society; and finally become a renunciate removing themselves from the world and focusing firmly on enlightenment.
Traditionally the ashramas were woven into the fabric of a Hindu’s life- and as such celebrated, valued and cherished. Peace was not necessarily a focus until later on in life, and of course it would be foolish to suppose that when one spent more time in meditation and renouncing worldly concerns that more peace was automatically granted. In fact, often making such changes would be like throwing a grenade into the programmes and pre-conditioning of the mind. Chaos could easily ensue for a time, until energies were integrated.
In contrast to this our modern Western society has for the most part deemed spiritual development as indulgent, superficial, and unnecessary, although to backtrack somewhat we must make mention of how in more recent years technology has counteracted this trend and New Age ideas and values have gathered enormous momentum offering techniques broadly accessible, and a tonic to the stresses of life.
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.”
This quote speaks of choice and acknowledgment when something unsettling occurs. Rather than become embroiled in the drama, one focuses on something else. I have found the ‘choice point of awareness’ to be a transformational tool throughout my life but it does require a stalking-like attention on the mind. To catch the moment before reaction that sets off a chain of turbulent emotions is a key opportunity to remain calm and composed.
My feeling is that the next step to really infusing a deeper inner peace is to cultivate a regular practice of gratitude and compassion which can produce a more receptive way of being, more heart centered, softer with deeper care and love for self.
“Inner peace is beyond victory or defeat.”
This quote references the deeply profound state of pure consciousness - ‘So Hung’, ‘I am that’. Non-attachment to outcome with a commitment to living in the present moment without allowing the mind to divert attention to memories of what was, or projections of what might be. I feel it is a reference to the absorption spoken of by adept meditators and ascetics. It is a prolonged state where one is completely immersed in the deeply peaceful bliss of just being.
“Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.”
To remain centered and grounded when all around you is noise, mayhem and chaos is certainly quite an art, but to me this also speaks of acceptance. This is the way of the world; we are all on our own journeys and how do we know that the greatest healing does not emerge from the biggest life-dramas? We cannot judge another’s path, and we have no right to. If, as many teachings suggest we are the star, writer, and director of our own film, then nothing else exists. apart from to set up the conditions needed to play in the simulation. In Hinduism this is known as ‘lila’ or ‘divine play’. You might postulate, if this is all a game anyway - what’s the need for inner peace- aren’t we in it for the ride? Well, what if the aim of the game is to swallow itself whole and be left with a sense of non-physical loving union with Divine Presence enjoying deep inner peace….
Thank you for reading these musings on serenity-I hope the prose has proved to be peaceful!
Emma Owen-Smith, Green Door Centre
To find out more about activities and events offered at the Green Door Centre in Bosham, near Chichester, West Sussex, visit the Green Door Centre’s website