Just the term "finding" inner peace can be slightly misleading, as it implies inner peace is separate from you, to be found at some point in the future. Finding inner peace is easier when you start to realise it is part of who you already are.
The key to finding inner peace is to realise what is covering it up. Once you become aware, you can begin to free yourself from any mental or emotional patterns or “baggage” that is causing you any suffering.
Most of our suffering arises from our thoughts about something, rather than the thing itself.
For example if you break a possession, then your thoughts about the situation are what do you harm - what you believe the possession meant to you, what others will say or do, believing you are now somehow "less" because your possession is destroyed etc. The situation itself is not negative, but your reaction to it is. When you can distinguish between the situation and your reaction to it, you can begin to experience inner peace.
The basic teaching is this: you are pure consciousness, pure awareness. You are that which is aware of a thought, aware of an emotion, aware of a sensory perception. Many of our problems arise when we identify with our thinking minds and our unstable emotions. This identification with form (particularly thought forms) is commonly known in spiritual teachings as the ego.
You are not the thinker, you are the watcher of thoughts. Test this out for yourself now: take your attention to what you are thinking about and wait for a thought to arise...
...you may notice that when a thought does arise, it does so all by itself. You are that which knows the thought has arisen. This is always the case.
This conscious awareness of your own thoughts and emotions is only accessible now. Past and future only exist in your mind. Realising this, that the present moment is all there ever is can be extremely liberating, as the present moment is always very simple. It is our thoughts and emotions that complicate things and make things seem “bad”.
Living in this state of awareness, knowing yourself as this, is the source for true inner peace, fulfilment and joy.
However, knowing the theory and actually living in this way are two very different things. Sometimes the mind can seem so strong and so turbulent that becoming conscious, still and at peace seems almost impossible. This is what the content here is designed to help you with.
Useful tools for staying conscious in the present moment and finding inner peace more easily include:
• the awareness of your breath (page coming soon)
• awareness of your inner energy field (“inner body” is another name for it - page coming soon)
• awareness of your sensory perceptions.
.....all these keep you in the present moment, where your thoughts and emotions can be observed without judgement just as easily as you can observe yourself sitting on a chair, or watching a bird in the sky.
Follow the links below for more on finding inner peace.
The most recent pages are added to the bottom of the list:
This is a common topic of spiritual teaching. It is the thing that makes finding inner peace seem harder. Once you can recognise the ego, you can become free.
• Part 2 - How To Be Free From Ego.
• Part 3 - Recognising Egoic Behaviour.
Coined by Eckhart Tolle, Pain Body is a term used to describe the negative emotional energy that most of us suffer with. It could be called the emotional extension of the ego, pain energy, pain consciousness, suffering etc. Once you can identify it within yourself, you can begin to break free from it and begin finding inner peace.
• Pain Body - What It Is and How To Be Free
• How To Deal With Pain Body In Others
How often you are fully in the present moment? Present moment awareness brings calm, inner peace and sanity to your life. It exposes your ego and puts you in touch with your true self.
You are not who you think...
These are some of my favourite quotes on inner peace and the nature of who we are that I have found very useful for meditative or inspirational reading. I hope you also gain benefit from reading them...
Nonresistance (acceptance) of what is takes you immediately to a peaceful state. All of your actions are then of a high quality and you harbour no internal negativity.
What is meant by having a shift in consciousness?
Non-judgement allows for instant inner peace. It means you are instantly still and alert when you choose not to judge. Experience non-judgement and experience freedom.
Inner body is another name for the inner energy field of your body. Dwelling in the inner body leaves you in a state of increased presence and inner peace.
Imagine the freedom you would have if you were not attached to anything. Non-attachment comes when you realise that there is more to you than what you can see, and there is more to life than what can be seen.
This is a further article about acceptance and inner peace, following on from the article on non-resistance. Acceptance can be so simple when adopted unconditionally, but is so against our past conditioning that it can seem difficult, weak or even crazy. Don't fall for these excuses of the mind.
Have you ever had a dream and then woken up, only to find that you're actually still dreaming? Is it possible that you are still dreaming now, but haven't realised yet that it is a dream? Spiritual awakening means awakening out of your dream state of consciousness into the truth of who you are.
Follow The Breath To Inner Peace
Awareness of the breath allows you to become aware of the stillness and peace that is already there within you.
Your natural state of being is still, quiet awareness. It is one with a feeling of inner peace and oneness with all life. From here you know that your sense of self depends on nothing.
Conscious Presence - The Light Of Consciousness
Many articles often mention using conscious presence, or the light of consciousness, as a way to free yourself from ego or pain body. What is conscious presence?
What does it mean to be spiritually unconscious?
Most people are unaware of the peace and ease that comes from being truly quiet. Staying quiet amongst unnecessary noise is an opening for inner peace.
The term "finding yourself" seems to be quite a cliche. Surely you already are yourself, so in truth, is there anything you really need to find?
Lose Yourself To Find Yourself
"Lose yourself to find yourself" is a quote from Jesus, who can be seen as a spiritual teacher rather than a religious figure. What does the phrase really mean?
We are obsessed with forms. Forms are all transient, they come and go, they are impermanent. Through our obsession with the transient, we miss the permanent.
Most people who are drawn to spiritual teachings often carry around the idea that they are still seeking something. Dropping this idea can be a liberation in itself.
Rather than getting involved with the mind and its fickle movements, notice that silence is already here. This silence is not a personal “me being silent”. It is impersonal. It already is.
Question: Hi Adam. Your website really resonated with me. I am going through what I feel is a shift. I am in constant anxiety/worry pattern with a few bouts of anger like you described you were in before you discovered the peace within...
The human mind has a constant need to understand. Whatever is going on, it tries to understand it better by creating more thoughts. But is it real understanding that the mind creates?
5 Things To Give Up For Inner Peace
Surely giving up something is easy. You need no longer expend effort trying to maintain these behaviours. If they arise by themselves, let them come, but don’t worry yourself with analyzing them or contributing...
From a very young age, we are taught to rely on thinking alone. We are taught that intelligence equals value, and that real intelligence is best measured by the ability to correctly memorise and regurgitate information.
Real Intelligence can not be measured by tests. It is impersonal, without limit.
Are you real? Likely the answer is “yes, I am real. I am. I would agree. As what are you real? This is where we can fall into trouble...
A few wise words from the great sage, Nisargadatta Maharaj, on the nature of self-realisation...
How To Be Free From Attachment?
A response to a question from a reader...
It's easy to quickly accumulate many spiritual ideas. Words like "awareness". "consciousness" , "being", how you should feel, how you should not feel...
Video: Take Everything As Nature
Mind, thoughts, sensations, pain, pleasure, happiness, joy - take it all as if it is Nature.
Once it is seen as if it is all Nature unfolding, it makes it all less personal, and whatever is not helpful will dissolve of its own accord.
A very short story on inner peace..."There was a fly, called Eric. He was the most virulently ambitious of all of his fly-friends, and his friends were concerned about him..."
A Quick Tip For Inner Peace...
A tip for inner peace that some may find helpful, is to take every aspect of experience as if it were the will of God. If you don’t like the word “God” then we could say Nature, Life, the Universe, Existence, or whatever you want...
A great cause of misery is the background sense of “I should not be here”. From early on we are often taught that where you are going is far more important than where you are...
The air became agitated, because all the leaves were being blown by the wind.
“Stop you leaves! Stop! Settle down!”
The leaves would not stop, the wind would not stop.
If you make meditation or spirituality about yourself, then the whole thing can become very ego-based. You may feel tight and constricted...
How To Deal With Self-Judgement
We can spend so much time and energy trying to avoid being judged in some kind of way by other people. We feel the judgement will diminish us, make us smaller, weaker, or even destroy us...
There was once a mad tree who fought against the wind. It was a tired looking tree who was once beautiful and strong. Now it was tall but dishevelled, thin and spindly...
The Universe is not in conflict with anything. If you feel you have made a mistake, didn’t act on your intuition, or think you are having limited beliefs about life that are holding you back...
If you hear people speaking in a language that you don’t understand, then of course it sounds meaningless. Just a load of sounds and syllables appearing and disappearing again.
It is easier for ‘mind energy’ to relax from noise when it is seen that all your thoughts and interpretations, are not actually what they are interpreting...
Your Mind, Exactly As It Is (Video)
“See what happens if you take away the conflict between how you want to feel or think, and how you actually feel and think…”
Notice the breathing, Is it your own?
Can you stop it? For how long? Can you hold it? For how long?
Is it really your breath?
Pages For Finding Inner Peace
Follow the links below for more on finding inner peace.
The most recent pages are added to the bottom of the list:
This is a common topic of spiritual teaching. It is the thing that conceals your inner peace. Once you can recognise the ego, you can become free.
• Part 2 - How To Be Free From Ego.
• Part 3 - Recognising Egoic Behaviour.
Coined by Eckhart Tolle, Pain Body is a term used to describe the negative emotional energy that most of us suffer with. It could be called the emotional extension of the ego, pain energy, pain consciousness, suffering etc. Once you can identify it within yourself, you can begin to break free from it.
• Pain Body - What It Is and How To Be Free
• How To Deal With Pain Body In Others
You are not who you think...
These are some of my favourite quotes on inner peace and the nature of who we are that I have found very useful for meditative or inspirational reading. I hope you also gain benefit from reading them...
What is meant by having a shift in consciousness?
Imagine the freedom you would have if you were not attached to anything. Non-attachment comes when you realise that there is more to you than what you can see, and there is more to life than what can be seen.
Non-Judgement - A Key To Enlightened Living
Non-judgement allows for instant inner peace. It means you are instantly still and alert when you choose not to judge. Experience non-judgement and experience freedom.
This is a further article about acceptance and inner peace, following on from the article on non-resistance. Acceptance can be so simple when adopted unconditionally, but is so against our past conditioning that it can seem difficult, weak or even crazy. Don't fall for these excuses of the mind.
Present Moment Awareness - Your Doorway To Freedom
How often you are fully in the present moment? Present moment awareness brings calm, inner peace and sanity to your life. It exposes your ego and puts you in touch with your true self.
Have you ever had a dream and then woken up, only to find that you're actually still dreaming? Is it possible that you are still dreaming now, but haven't realised yet that it is a dream? Spiritual awakening means awakening out of your dream state of consciousness into the truth of who you are.
Follow The Breath To Inner Peace
Awareness of the breath allows you to become aware of the stillness and peace that is already there within you.
The Inner Body - The Portal To Peace
Inner body is another name for the inner energy field of your body. Dwelling in the inner body leaves you in a state of increased presence and inner peace.
Your natural state of being is still, quiet awareness. It is one with a feeling of inner peace and oneness with all life. From here you know that your sense of self depends on nothing.
Conscious Presence - The Light Of Consciousness
Many articles often mention using conscious presence, or the light of consciousness, as a way to free yourself from ego or pain body. What is conscious presence?
What does it mean to be spiritually unconscious?
Most people are unaware of the peace and ease that comes from being truly quiet. Staying quiet amongst unnecessary noise is an opening for inner peace.
The term "finding yourself" seems to be quite a cliche. Surely you already are yourself, so in truth, is there anything you really need to find?
Lose Yourself To Find Yourself
"Lose yourself to find yourself" is a quote from Jesus, who can be seen as a spiritual teacher rather than a religious figure. What does the phrase really mean?
We are obsessed with forms. Forms are all transient, they come and go, they are impermanent. Through our obsession with the transient, we miss the permanent.
Most people who are drawn to spiritual teachings often carry around the idea that they are still seeking something. Dropping this idea can be a liberation in itself.
Rather than getting involved with the mind and its fickle movements, notice that silence is already here. This silence is not a personal “me being silent”. It is impersonal. It already is.
Question: Hi Adam. Your website really resonated with me. I am going through what I feel is a shift. I am in constant anxiety/worry pattern with a few bouts of anger like you described you were in before you discovered the peace within...
The human mind has a constant need to understand. Whatever is going on, it tries to understand it better by creating more thoughts. But is it real understanding that the mind creates?
5 Things To Give Up For Inner Peace
Surely giving up something is easy. You need no longer expend effort trying to maintain these behaviours. If they arise by themselves, let them come, but don’t worry yourself with analyzing them or contributing...
From a very young age, we are taught to rely on thinking alone. We are taught that intelligence equals value, and that real intelligence is best measured by the ability to correctly memorise and regurgitate information.
Real Intelligence can not be measured by tests. It is impersonal, without limit.
Are you real? Likely the answer is “yes, I am real. I am. I would agree. As what are you real? This is where we can fall into trouble...
A few wise words from the great sage, Nisargadatta Maharaj, on the nature of self-realisation...
How To Be Free From Attachment?
A response to a question from a reader...
It's easy to quickly accumulate many spiritual ideas. Words like "awareness". "consciousness" , "being", how you should feel, how you should not feel...
Video: Take Everything As Nature
Mind, thoughts, sensations, pain, pleasure, happiness, joy - take it all as if it is Nature.
Once it is seen as if it is all Nature unfolding, it makes it all less personal, and whatever is not helpful will dissolve of its own accord.
A very short story on inner peace..."There was a fly, called Eric. He was the most virulently ambitious of all of his fly-friends, and his friends were concerned about him..."
A Quick Tip For Inner Peace...
A tip for inner peace that some may find helpful, is to take every aspect of experience as if it were the will of God. If you don’t like the word “God” then we could say Nature, Life, the Universe, Existence, or whatever you want...
A great cause of misery is the background sense of “I should not be here”. From early on we are often taught that where you are going is far more important than where you are...
The air became agitated, because all the leaves were being blown by the wind.
“Stop you leaves! Stop! Settle down!”
The leaves would not stop, the wind would not stop.
If you make meditation or spirituality about yourself, then the whole thing can become very ego-based. You may feel tight and constricted...
How To Deal With Self-Judgement
We can spend so much time and energy trying to avoid being judged in some kind of way by other people. We feel the judgement will diminish us, make us smaller, weaker, or even destroy us...
There was once a mad tree who fought against the wind. It was a tired looking tree who was once beautiful and strong. Now it was tall but dishevelled, thin and spindly...
The Universe is not in conflict with anything. If you feel you have made a mistake, didn’t act on your intuition, or think you are having limited beliefs about life that are holding you back...
If you hear people speaking in a language that you don’t understand, then of course it sounds meaningless. Just a load of sounds and syllables appearing and disappearing again.
It is easier for ‘mind energy’ to relax from noise when it is seen that all your thoughts and interpretations, are not actually what they are interpreting...
Your Mind, Exactly As It Is (Video)
“See what happens if you take away the conflict between how you want to feel or think, and how you actually feel and think…”
Notice the breathing, Is it your own?
Can you stop it? For how long? Can you hold it? For how long?
Is it really your breath?
Personal inner peace guidance sessions for finding inner peace more easily.