Discover four different kinds of peace in this short excerpt from Dr. Rick Hanson’s article, bringing a bit of calm to your busy parenting life.
What’s your sense of peace?
The practice: enjoy four kinds of peace.
Why?
True peace is a deep and resilient state that provides protection from stress, strengthens resilience, and fosters positive outlooks and relationships. Unlike a fragile or detached calm, this peace endures through challenges, supporting well-being and improving interactions. At peace, you are more relaxed, open to opportunities, and capable of handling relationships with clarity and patience.
How?
There are four kinds of peace, each offering unique value, and it’s helpful to focus on and enjoy any one of them. In a demanding world, protecting and savoring moments of peace helps them become lasting habits in the mind.
The Peace of Ease
This is the peace of relaxation and relief, found in small moments like sharing with a friend, completing a task, or simply pausing to breathe. Though often overlooked, these moments of rest are valuable—take them in when they come.
The Peace of Tranquility
This peace is a deep inner quiet, where the mind and body are fully settled, free from grasping or disturbance. It brings a sense of calm and non-reactivity, offering a profound sense of inner freedom.
The Peace of Awareness
This type of peace is a subtle inner stillness, where a part of you observes your thoughts and feelings without being disturbed. It’s like an open space, unruffled by whatever arises, and remains fundamentally at peace.
The Peace of What’s Changing
Some things in life remain constant, such as the truth that change itself is inevitable, which brings a sense of peace. Additionally, while individual experiences change, the broader context of the universe remains stable, offering comfort in its unchanging nature. For many, a sense of the transcendental or eternal also provides a deep, peaceful understanding beyond ordinary comprehension.
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May we all be at peace.
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