The Place of Peace

“Find your peace.”

How often have I heard this phrase? And who doesn’t want to feel peaceful, especially in today’s world?

But how do we find it? Sometimes it seems so far away. Where exactly does peace reside?

Today, my yoga teacher answered this question, sharing that peace lives at the intersection of truth and love. These two energies form a cross at the center of our heart chakra, creating a peace within each one of us.

“What a beautiful image,” I thought, envisioning a 3-D cross of light glowing inside my body. “Of course, peace would reside in the heart.”

Knowing its location is one thing. Accessing this center—my peace—would be an entirely different matter.  

And so, I contemplated the topic—my default approach to figuring things out. I spend a lot of time in my head, thinking. Being in my mind allows me to evaluate, break down issues as black or white, and reason my way as to what seems most plausible.

What is truth? Aren’t we confronted with this question on a daily basis? Whether the subject is health, climate, politics … you name it … doesn’t there always seem to be two sides to everything? How do we know what is correct and what is false? For me, it’s a knowing. My truth might be different than another’s, but it’s what is right for me.

Love, however, is not a matter of the mind. Unlike concrete information which we can view as right or wrong, love often shows up as shades of gray. Because this emotion is an expression of how we feel about someone or something, it’s difficult to evaluate, probe, or investigate. Maybe that’s why love captivates us … for it is something greater. Indescribable. Irresistible. And at times, elusive.  

Peace embodies characteristics of both energies, providing a reassured sensation we realize through truth as well as love’s unconditional warmth. Regardless of what is happening around us, peace keeps us safe. While fear doesn’t exist in this space, peace doesn’t guarantee there is not chaos in our world. Rather, when we are in a state of peace, we don’t permit the turbulence to control us.

Lately, it’s been hard to feel the peace. Sometimes it seems miles away.

So, how do we access it?

We pause. Become quiet. Focus on what is true for us. Who and what do we love? We allow the two to merge, noting where the energy of truth and love meet inside of us. Then we embrace this sensation.

Sometimes we become so caught in an external reality—created by others to harbor fears, anxiety, and doubts—that we become stuck, forgetting we hold the key to our peace. However, when we’re able to remember the sun always shines behind the clouds, the darkness subsides as our faith allows rays of light to pierce the shadows. This light leads us to our peace.

It is within. It always has been. It always will be. It’s where we hope, dream, and rekindle trust and faith. And when enough of us find our peace, our world shifts. For we cannot help but let this combination of love and truth flow from us, slowly shifting the chaos to harmony.