Let go of what has passed.

Let go of what may come.

Let go of what is happening now.

Don’t try to figure anything out.

Don’t try to make anything happen.

Relax, right now, and rest. -Tilopa

Here we are, scattered about on a globe that seems to grow smaller by the day. The noise of the world is becoming increasingly louder and so much is calling for our attention. The next email notification, the latest news, the constant text messages, the newest trend, the relationship dramas - all a parade of distraction.

The stress we feel piling up in our mind and body is not due to the noise of the world, it is in us giving it permission to pull us all over the place. We might never end the external cacophony, but we can learn to stop letting it lead us around like a bull with a ring in its nose, unable to settle.

If we don't slow down, if we never give ourselves a chance to listen to what Rumi called "the voice that doesn't use words," how can we expect peace? We all know in our hearts that this peace has to come from within.

The habitual momentum in our world thrusts us forward with "busy-ness" and doing. We find the idea of sitting and being quiet to be at first unsettling. Sure, the world is loud but when we begin our journey into listening to the heart, we find the inner chatter can be louder still! It is in the beginning where most of us jump the mindfulness ship. We sit in silence and we witness our monkey mind, the emotions and all of the antics of the ego and it can be truly scary, embarrassing and downright painful.

If you are just beginning to open up to the desire to find that inner peace, please don't be too hard on yourself as you discover your own brand of madness. Have a cup of tea, put your hand on your heart and tell yourself "I’ve got this and I am worthy of inner peace."

Keep practicing. There is never a shortage of opportunities to practice peace. You do not need a temple or a monastery, for you are always on sacred ground. Every moment is a chance to say yes to love and goodbye to fear.

The world quiets as each of us connect with the potential for love to transform the discord. When we witness that transformation in ourselves we begin to witness it in the world around us. Thank you for showing up!

Keep breathing, keep loving,

Garret