Tranquility, harmony, quietness. What does inner peace really mean? Can we buy it? Can we learn it? Does it really exist? Almost everyone muses over these questions at some time in life. Most consciously experience different stages in life where inner peace is more strongly experienced. It seems that everyone , either consciously or sub-consciously , directly or indirectly, is seeking this elusive goal. What is it?

Inner Peace is that state of being where the mind ceases to go outward, where it stops searching for things outside of itself and is content in and of itself. Nothing further, especially the external, is needed.

Ultimately, inner peace is a function of one’s own consciousness and is completely independent of all external input. Because of the nature of the universe, real inner peace can never be permanently found in the external world. Nature is composed of cycle of rotating pairs of opposites. Night follows day. Cold follows hot. Pain follows pleasure. Imagine someone treading water who puts his arms out to the sides, presses them down quickly while at the same time kicking his legs together. The torso is immediately lifted up out of the water, free of its confines. The body is momentarily high and elevated. Plop! Immediately the opposite of being high up in the water follows and the body drops back down, often even submerging the head. It eventually bobs up and down until more or less the original position is obtained.

The only way to really find inner peace is to still the outgoing mind, and to quiet the bubbling senses. Regardless of what external stimuli one can obtain, eventually one must deal with one’s own restless mind. Through regular, prolonged practice of meditation and yoga asanas (postures), and pranayama (breathing exercises) one eventually gets closer to this goal. Surprisingly, it is not unlike being a better golfer, tennis player, or even a writer. One must just practice, practice, practice. Coupled with this, one must create an atmosphere which is conducive to more introspection and self-analysis.

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