Inner peace is important for everyone. It is the basis for success in creating and maintaining positive actions and their products in our lives.

When we feel peaceful within, we are not worrying, and make space in our mind for new thoughts to come up, and creative ideas have time to blossom into new projects.

To begin your meditation choose a quiet place to sit where you will not be disturbed. This could be a garden space in warm weather. Indoors, you could set up a corner of your bedroom, or a space in the attic, if you have one.

If you use an altar, keep it clean with fresh flowers, a container to burn a favorite incense, inspiring pictures or a book, sacred objects or those that uplift you. If you use a rosary or mala it can be kept on your altar, ready for use. On my altar I have a crystal from the Himalayas and I curl my mala around it. Just looking at it brings feelings of peace to my mind.

When you sit for meditation throw on a light shawl if that is cozier. Your body may cool down while sitting still.

Sit up straight on a cushion on the floor, or if sitting on a chair also keep your back upright, and plant the soles of your feet firmly on the floor to maintain balance. Fold your hands in your lap or place your palms face up or face down on your thighs. If you wish to use you beads for mantra repetition hold them in your lap.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and slowly release it. Now start easy, even rhythmic breathing, such as one count to breathe in, and one count to breathe out. Continue this pattern throughout your meditation, without actually saying the counts.

Turn your attention to thoughts of appreciation for the good in your life. This puts you in a positive frame of mind.

For this meditation think on inner peace and how you can maintain it when stressed. One way is by doing the same even rhythmic breathing you are using in this meditation.

No one need even know you are resorting to the even breaths to maintain your peace. But you know and that is what is important. You needn’t say that you are doing a breathing exercise, just do it.

Finish your inner peace meditation by drawing in a deep breath and letting it go while enjoying the feelings of peace and harmony in your body.

Whenever you need a reminder to find your inner peace, sit in meditation and do the regular even breathing.

For teens and adults:
Gentle Yoga and Meditation – for All Adults
Gentle yoga poses and meditations for adults of all ages, plus a dose of yoga philosophy and virtues. All poses illustrated. 107 pages. Table of contents at this link.

For kids
Yoga for all Kids
Included in the text are 4 styles of meditation for balance, harmony and instant stress relief, plus 15 gentle moving yoga poses that can also be used as a basic motor skills lesson plan, followed by 18 chapters about how to live social skills, and a dictionary of 40 one sentence definitions of happiness. For kids of all ages and abilities. Fully illustrated with photos of poses.

I invite you to join me in a world-wide cyber meditation every day of the year. Click on this link to read about it. And if you’d like to receive our free weekly newsletter of updates to the meditation site fill in the blanks below.

Article by Susan Helene Kramer