Peace...of Heart, Soul, & Mind

As a writer, I’m often awakened in the middle of the night by words. I don’t know why they come to me then, but I’ve found that if I don’t get up and write them down by morning they will be lost. Early this morning, at 3:45 a.m., I was awakened by these words: Peace of Heart, Peace of Soul, Peace of Mind. I don’t know why they were sent my way, but I thought I’d share them with you.

          On my morning walk, I thought about these words. Peace of Heart, to me, means being in a good place with your relationships. If love is flowing from your heart, and you’re also receiving love openly, chances are your heart is at peace. But the heart can become closed, wounded, or tormented. To have peace of heart, your heart must be at ease and the love in your life must flow as freely as the blood that is pumped through this organ.

         Peace of Soul…hmm, that’s a little more complicated. But to me, it means that you are “following your bliss,” that you’re answering  “the call of your soul,” as my Kundalini yoga teacher calls it. What are you meant to do? What is your calling or purpose, your dharma? If you’re not doing it—whatever it is—your soul will feel the sadness, the longing. A peaceful soul, I believe, is one that is satisfied with the life choices made, but this requires listening to your inner voice, your inner teacher. You can ignore the call of your soul for only so long before you begin to feel dissatisfied, anxious, and lost. 

           Peace of Mind is perhaps the easiest to explain, but may be the hardest to achieve. Peace of mind means letting go of all the “monkey chatter” thoughts that don’t serve us. It’s difficult to keep the mind focused on the present, on what really matters, and not to live in a world of future, past, or pure fantasy (not that there’s anything wrong with some fantasy!) To be in the now, to be comfortable with what is, and to let your thoughts come and go (as they inevitably will) without attaching to them can indeed be a life’s work. A mind not at peace is agitated, troubled, conflicted. Who needs that?! I’m not saying the mind must be vacant, either; rumbling—even chaotic—thoughts can sometimes lead to creativity and good things, of course. But for true peace of mind there must be stillness, quiet, and calm. The mind must be more like a tranquil lake than a churning ocean.

           Why did these words come to me in the night? I have no idea. Maybe I have something to learn from them, or maybe you do. In any case I’m grateful to the universe for sending them along, and I do believe that to find peace in all forms—peace on earth, peace in our hearts, minds, and souls-- is what we’re here for.