8 Powerful Ways to Find Inner Peace and Balance
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” Dalai Lama
Some time ago, I believed that inner peace and balance were an endpoint, a target, something I had to find in one way or another, by doing long and complicated exercises. I looked for books, guides, and blogs that might help me achieve it. I found some good ones…but my peace always had something more important to do than come to me. I used to assimilate everything at a mental level, but I didn’t seem to bridge the gap between intellect, emotions, and the physical body.
It took me a while to figure out I was actually running around like a dizzy hamster, with no meaning and end.
Gradually, I started to understand that I was looking out there for something that already existed in a forgotten place inside me. It’s true, I couldn’t access it yet, but at least I knew where to look for it. And that was the first step to healing. It’s like the old wise saying: if you want to have something, start being that thing. I know. You’ve read these words a thousand times. I’ve read these words a thousand times. Easy to say, but… How to actually make it work at all levels?
I will share with you some practices that really helped me turn the page.
Open the door to peace
If you’re constantly bombed with negativity from all directions, your process of creating an inner state of peace and harmony can be seriously slowed down.
Before doing anything, what about making some order in your life?
You should start by avoiding conflictual people and situations, which are constantly throwing negative energy at you. If this is not possible, given the situation, just cut yourself off from the people who have a strong emanation of anger. By ‘cutting off, I don’t mean becoming insensitive or selfish. Only stop absorbing that energy in your inner space. Replace any negative information and vibe they are sending to you with a positive one. Tell yourself: “This person is hurt, he/she suffers, that’s because they’re behaving this way…I refuse to tune in to this vibration!”
The anger and the urge to hurt others are usually rooted in a deep discontentment with our own person and life. Just stop fighting with these people. If you cannot help them calm down, then move away from their space. Tune yourself to a higher frequency. You can open the door to peace only when your first impulse is to forgive rather than judge.
I know it sounds difficult to put into practice, but believe me, it works. I used to be an atomic bomb in these situations; I couldn’t resist the slightest challenge. Then I started my exercise of changing the frequency. In the beginning, it didn’t work. I needed some time, patience, and perseverance to make it happen. But after a while, it simply came. And the release I felt was worth the pain. If you don’t give up, at some point this attitude will come naturally, and it will save you from a lot of stress and negativity.
Gregg Braden speaks about a beautiful practice. He states that blessing a negative experience/situation heals your energy and, at the same time, it develops your power of acceptance. Replace any judgment with these magic words: “I bless you” (or “I bless this situation”), and you’ll see the effects. You can bless every situation in your life (good or bad) and, in a short time, you see how both your inner and outer world is changing.
Even if, in the beginning, your emotions won’t perfectly align with the words, in time, you’ll find yourself attuned to their powerful healing energy.
Practice Mindfulness
Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, or thinking a lot can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression.
Mindfulness allows us to be fully engaged with the present moment.
Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from stressful thoughts and engage with the world around you.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at the moment, without interpretation or judgment.
Mindfulness Daily Practice
Living in the present moment means consciously bringing an open, accepting, and discerning attention to everything you do. Pay attention. Take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses — sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste.
For example, when you eat your favorite food, take the time to taste and fully enjoy it. Focus on your breathing. When you have negative thoughts, sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes.
Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Sitting and breathing for even just a minute can help.
Mindfulness Meditation
Find a quiet place in your home, or somewhere outside. You can lie down on your back or sit with your back straight. Just choose the position which feels more comfortable.
Breathe through your nose, focussing on your breath moving in and out of your body. If physical sensations or thoughts interrupt your meditation, note the experience and then return your attention to your breath.
Focus your attention slowly and consciously on each part of your body, from head to toe. Be aware of any emotions, sensations, or thoughts associated with each part of your body.
Mindful Journaling
A mindfulness daily workbook provides a great addition for anyone practicing mindfulness. It can guide you through simple practices that enable you to experience mindfulness not as an abstract concept, but as a daily practice. A mindful planer will enable you to cultivate focus, peace, and presence and plan your dream life, day by day.
A workbook journal can help you track your moods, meditation practice, habits, organize your daily tasks, and choose your feelings and areas of focus in a conscious way.
Foods that help you relax
Disclosure: Our articles are a result of extensive personal research, but we may earn affiliate commissions from purchasing products from this page
Our overall state depends a lot on what we eat. There are foods that can help restore calm and relaxation in our life.
I will share some of my favorite foods — known for their relaxing properties- that always uplift my mood and help me see the bright side of life.
Berries
Berries are a powerful source of vitamin C, which is known as a stress reducer.
Milk
Milk contains tryptophan –an amino acid that helps in the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that sends signals between the nerve cells, and it acts as a natural mood stabilizer, reducing depression, anxiety, healing wounds, etc.
A cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey can do a lot.
Honey
As a high tryptophan food and rich in potassium, honey helps relieve stress and relax the nervous system, inducing a state of wellness and serenity.
Bananas
Banana is a fruit rich in potassium and magnesium, which helps relax muscles. It also contains tryptophan, which supports serotonin release in the brain.
Nuts
Nuts contain vitamin B-complex, magnesium, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and Omega-3 fatty acid. All these compounds are nourishing the brain, calm the nervous system, and induce a relaxed state of mind.
Celery
Celery helps lower high blood pressure, which leads to relaxation.
Soup
A warm soup with mixed vegetables like carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, spinach, thyme and parsley (a real vitamin bomb!) will definitely help you restore your mood and well-being after a long hard day.
Inner peace meditation
This is a meditation that, practiced every day for a few weeks, will help you resonate with the frequency of peace.
As it’s very important to feel comfortable while doing it, find your own posture and time to meditate — the one that best suits you. For me, the evening is a perfect time, while lying in bed before sleeping. That’s when my mind shuts off and lets the heart do the talking.
Lie down in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Breathe in and out slowly. Bring your attention to your breath for one minute.
Now, move your attention on your feet and ankles. Imagine they are increasingly warm and heavy. They become so heavy that you cannot move them anymore. Spend a little time exploring this feeling. Now focus on your calves and do the same: feel them warm and heavy to the point of having no control over them. Then move your attention to the thighs and repeat the process. Do the same for the hips, the abdomen, the lower back, the chest, the shoulders, the arms, the palms, the blades, the neck, the lips, the nose, the eyes, the front, and the scalp. Imagine they are very warm and heavy, and you can’t control them anymore.
Then feel your body like a weightless feather. You are melting into this feeling of lightness, and you enjoy it.
Now visualize a shining white light coming from a source above you. While you look at it with your inner eyes, it becomes stronger and stronger, brighter than the sun. The light is surrounding you like a veil, then it fills your whole body from head to toe. Feel the warmth and love flowing inside you. Imagine yourself as a shining ball.
Now visualize a light blue color surrounding you from all directions. As if the summer sky were everywhere around you. Think about the word ‘peace’ and know that it is represented by this color. Blue is the color of inner serenity and calm, and it helps you accept things as they are. Let yourself float into the infinite blue. Breathe it inside you. Now dissolve yourself in it. You know it has no beginning and no end, and it’s there for you, any time you need it. Absorb this feeling. Take as much time as you need until you feel completely sunk into this vibration of harmony and tranquility.
Now open your eyes. Start to slowly move your fingers, palms, and toes. Gradually move your legs, arms, and neck. The process of ‘coming back’ varies from one person to another. Some people need to make a few gym exercises, while others are so relaxed that fall asleep.
Repeat this meditation daily, or at least once in two days, and the result will speak for itself.
Brainwave entrainment to restore peace and calm
Because of our stress-filled lives, we seldom succeed to disconnect from our everyday problems. This causes our levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) to remain high, keeping our brain alert most of the time, and robbing us of much necessary sleep.
Brainwave entrainment is a method of using sounds or light pulses to alter the brain waves and induce different states of consciousness. Brainwave sounds stimulate the brain acoustically, creating rhythmic patterns which induce a specific state such as relaxation, focus, deep trance, etc.
Most of the time, our brain is in a Beta state (between 12 Hz and 40 Hz), being aroused and active. This frequency helps us function throughout the day. Excessive Beta waves may cause stress, anxiety, and hyperactivity.
Alpha brainwaves range between 8 Hz and 12 Hz and promote calm and relaxation.
As they help the brain release serotonin, the alpha brainwaves are associated with the feeling of wellness and with a higher level of creativity.
The music in this video was created with alpha binaural beats and induces a state of deep relaxation. Headphones are recommended for a better result.
Theta brainwaves, with a frequency range of 4–7 Hz is a state associated with peace, relaxation, deep meditation, and lucid dreaming. It’s also known as the initial stage of sleep. Studies have shown that Theta brainwaves reduce cortisol (the hormone of stress) in the body, and induce more restful sleep. This video contains pure Theta sounds and classical music.
Essential oils to relieve stress
The healing power of essential oils is well known now. Some lab tests showed how the scent molecules are going from the lungs into the blood and then transmitted to the brain directly in the limbic system — the seat of emotion- affecting the way we feel.
Here are five essential oils with powerful stress-reducing and calming effects.
Lavender essential oil treats anxiety calms the nervous system, is widely used in stress, depression, and insomnia.
Rose Essential Oil promotes a sense of calm, joy, and serenity. It reduces agitation, anxiety, and depression, and it helps in enhancing self-esteem.
Essential sandalwood oil balances both the brain and the immune system, eliminating stress, anxiety, and nervous tension.
Frankincense essential oil reduces depression, agitation, palpitations, and anxiety. It is a profoundly relaxing oil, having a deeply calming effect on the mind.
Orange oil stabilizes emotions and increases self-confidence. It has strong uplifting and stress-reduction effects, treating depression, anxiety, insomnia, and the inability to cope with changes.
Essential oils recipe for peace and balance
This is a powerful combination of essential oils which reduces stress, increases serotonin levels, and has a calming effect on the mind:
6 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Sandalwood essential oil
2 drops Frankincense essential oil
4 drops Orange essential oil
For massage, you can add 5 teaspoons of carrier oil — such as olive, sweet almond, or coconut.
How to use essential oils
1. In a diffuser
Put 15–20 drops of essential oil on an oil burner with a candle, or in a diffuser. You can use it during meditation for deep relaxation, and before sleep.
2. In the bathtub
After a long and stressful day, who doesn’t enjoy a hot aromatic bath?
Fill the bathtub with hot water, then put 4–5 drops of essential oil in the water. As essential oils are not soluble in water, you should mix them with a carrier oil.
3. In the shower
Put a few drops of essential oil on the bath sponge. While showering, wipe your body with the bath sponge.
4. Inhale it directly
You can inhale the oil directly from the bottle. Or, you can put a few drops on a handkerchief, cotton pad, or scarf and take it with you.
Powerful affirmations for inner peace and balance
An affirmation is a statement that we repeat with confidence, making an assertion about a perceived truth in which we strongly believe. Its power lies in the ability to program the brain into believing the stated fact. The mind doesn’t know the difference between reality and fantasy. And it doesn’t have a sense of humor. It takes everything literally, exactly how we say it. So, if we tell ourselves “My insomnia will never end…”, our mind will focus on insomnia and chances are we get stuck with it for a long while. Therefore, we must watch over our words and beliefs. Because they create the world we live in.
I will share with you some affirmations that helped me reroute to new ideas and make peace with myself.
The power of I AM
When you really want something, try to see yourself as part of that thing. Don’t look at it as being outside you, but as a part of yourself that may be activated.
If you build your affirmations with the phrase “I am”, their force is doubled.
The following phrases can help you restore your peace of mind and serenity. Choose the one that suits you best.
I am peace and balance.
I am always infinite peace.
I am infinite peace and joy.
I am always peaceful and calm.
I am always at peace with myself.
One-word affirmations
Repeated many times in a day, one-word affirmations are like mantras, strong and persuasive, forcing your brain to change its thought patterns. When you repeat only one word, there is no conflict between the brain and emotions. That word becomes your main focus, and you’ll identify yourself with it.
Choose one word that better reflects your purpose, such as ‘peace’, ‘calm’, ‘serenity’, ‘tranquility’, etc., and turn it into your daily affirmation.
How to use the positive affirmations
Repeated the affirmation between 30 and 50 times a day.
It must always be in the present tense and it cannot contain any negations.
You can repeat them out loud, in the morning, or in the evening, before going to sleep. While you say the words, picture yourself surrounded by the blue color of peace.
You can also repeat it during the day, whenever you have some free moments. There is no limit to it.
If you prefer the pencil and paper, you can also write them down, several times a day.
Regardless of the way you’re using the affirmations, make it a part of your daily routine. In time, you’ll be amazed at the results.
Gratitude unlocks everything
In these difficult and agitated times, we tend to focus on “bad” events more than good ones. For example, we prefer to hang on to that unpleasant thing our neighbor told us yesterday, and forget the good encouraging words of our best friend or partner.
When you concentrate on every positive little fact in your life and try to feel grateful for all you have, instead of counting your problems, you’ll see how your whole life turns into gold. It’s not a secret anymore that everything depends on our attitude and perception. Things and events out there are the same for everybody; the way each of us deals with them makes the difference.
It might sound like a cliché, but it’s still an ongoing reality. We all met people who looked peaceful, serene, having a great sense of humor, despite their difficult, almost unmanageable lives. And the opposite. People who had all the reasons to be happy and grateful, but they didn’t seem to enjoy anything, carrying their dark little cloud with them everywhere. The first person would feel grateful for all he has, while the second takes everything for granted and, of course, he never has enough. The same world, two different attitudes.
Take a few minutes every day and list ten things you are grateful for. Give yourself a fixed period of time (for example 2 months), and try to find new things to be grateful for, every day. During this period, force yourself to focus only on positive events or persons, and simply ignore what is bothering you. Learn to say thank you, as frequently as you can.
You might be grateful for your parents who gave you a good start in life, for your children, for your friends, or your partner. Or for simple little things, such as the beautiful weather outside, the birds singing, the new clothes you just bought, your favorite food that you eat every day, or a beautiful song you just listened to. Anything can be a reason to be grateful. Not the things, but the attitude matters. And you know what? This attitude will bring you the life you want and will lead you to the inner peace you’ve been longing for.
It costs nothing to give it a try :)
