Creating peace is vital for suffering individuals and for society
Creating peace should be the aim of all society but of course peace must reside in each individual for this to happen. One of the greatest proponents of peace is Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnemese monk who works tirelessly to bring engaged Buddhism to the world. This means simply teaching simple practices that can be used by everyone, not in a religious sense, but instead as a way of creating peace through compassion and insight. Mindfulness is the main vehicle, and to be mindful is to be fully present, to be aware, to have insight, to have clarity, to experience emotions and thoughts in this moment, to be judgmental, and to be accepting.
Mindfulness is a simple practice ~ anytime, anywhere
Mindfulness is a practice that can be used through each day in different ways to gain these healthy benefits. Some describe a practice like this as a skill of well-being, or the skill of being well. These skills form a major part of the Pain Coach Programme, which is a comprehensive approach not only to overcome pain and chronic health issues but to create the best health to live a meaningful life within our ever-changing circumstances. It is much like learning to sail a boat when the sea is sometimes calm and the sea is sometimes ferocious. The wandering mind is an unhappy mind, read the title of a well-publicised piece of research. Whilst we also know that to permit mind wandering can be useful for ideas and creativity, having control over when this starts and finishes maybe important. Certainly being able to attend to what you are doing in this moment is a valuable health skill afforded by mindfulness practice.
Those who have practiced mindfulness will know that creating peace is one of the emerging experiences. We cannot quieten our mind directly, but the mind can calm within the context of being mindful. Thoughts just come, and we cannot stop them much like King Canute could not stop the sea. Yet we learn how to become insightful and skilful as these thoughts pop in, seeing them as just thoughts and opinions that are often very different from reality and truth. Being observant and curious about our thoughts, or the story that we tell ourselves, gives us space to choose how to respond. How can you respond? You can decide to re-focus your attention on what is happening now by using your breath, you can let the thought go (they pass by anyway), you can purposely generate a positive feeling, you can engage in a meaningful interaction or you can perform an act of generosity. All of these you can do in a way that is informed with self-compassion, being kind to yourself, a key skil of well-being.
Individually we are responsible for creating peace within ourselves. It is an error to think that somehow peace or happiness comes from somewhere or someone else. Mindfulness teaches us that we can come back to ourselves at anytime in order to feel at home and secure. That sense of safety, warmth, comfort and peace we can generate ourselves with increasing effect by practicing the skills of being well and cultivating our awareness and insight. In doing this, we are regularly promoting our own health by activating the care-giving systems in our bodies. These play a vital role in day to day physiological functioning: nourishing body systems, diverting resources to healing, repair, refreshing and renewing, digesting food and building energy levels that we need to live and feel well. This is in contrast to the protect and service systems that are designed to work in short bursts. It is when the protect mode is operating consistently that we can develop a wide range of common ailments: IBS, migraine, pelvic pain, wide spread aches and pains, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and fertility issues to name a few. Choosing to lead a hectic life full of habits that promote survival without adequate deep relaxation only results in health issues. However, we can always make the choice to make a change in a new direction.
We are changing every moment, you just need to choose your direction in line with your vision of the well-you and groove new habits
There are many issues with modern society and its impact upon the health of all, however we also have a great deal of knowledge we can use to make an impact. There are many simple practices that we can use each day to improve our world. This all begins with a shift in thinking beyond oneself towards a mindset of how we can best give and serve our world and the people in the world. We are interconnected in many ways and collectively we can be responsible for social developments that benefit all. We are seeing this increasingly with social enterprises emerging in different sectors. This work is vital for all of us.
Creating peace within ourselves with a simple practice each day is the basis for a collective peace within society. On an individual basis, the creation of peace within is the same as creating the conditions for health as the parasympathetic nervous system predominates. There is so much to be gained from practices that can be learned by all ages (children, teenagers, adults and seniors) in different environments (nurseries, schools, workplaces, homes and healthcare facilities). Low cost, easily implemented and science-based there are a number of initiatives across the world that we can build upon and develop. However, it starts with the individual.
Pain Coach Programme to overcome chronic pain by using the skills of being well to lead a meaningful life | t. 07518 445493 or contact us using the form below.
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