Inner peace is something that I’ve always treasured and advocated. It’s a state of being emotionally and mentally at peace, without restless or disturbing thoughts. It’s being in control of your mind, moods, and reactions. True inner peace is independent of external conditions and circumstances.
There’s a saying, “Trouble comes in three.” My inner peace is currently confronted with these threes: the passing of my two aunts in less than a month; dealing with Covid; and now, I’m faced with an encroacher in my small farm lot in Antipolo.
The lot is about an hour’s drive. It’s situated in the scenic rolling hills at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains. My mom purchased the lot way back in 1975. Now that she’s 93 years old, she decided to turn it over to me since I love gardening and, lately, successfully growing vegetables in my flat.
Untended farm lot in Antipolo
I had the property surveyed by a geodetic engineer in July 2020. I decided to postpone fencing the perimeter and tilling the land because, first of all, the place is off-grid. There’s no water, electricity and access road. Second, with the pandemic, I thought it best to use my funds wisely.
However, the last death in my family reminded me that life is short! And that’s when I thought of the farm and how I could use it to fulfill my dream of growing my food and become sustainable. So, I visited the farm and discovered, on May 21, flag markers inside my property. I was shocked! The encroacher must’ve thought that the land is idle or abandoned since it’s been unfenced and there’s no activity since 1975. The lots adjacent to mine are also untended.
Inner peace may be cultivated by various forms of practices such as meditation and pranayama.
The last two weeks felt like an eternity. I kept traveling to Antipolo almost daily to protect and secure my property. I’m trying my best not to let fear, worries, and anxiety creep into my thoughts. I’ve also been beating myself up and can’t believe how naive I am, to think people will respect property rights with just concrete markers or “mohons” in place.
I have to remind myself that these thoughts are lower energy frequencies that affect how I feel about anything and everything and may cloud my judgment and choices.
If you are like me, whose inner peace is being challenged, I’m sharing this kundalini yoga breathwork meditation to help balance nervous energies and help generate calmness within. It takes only 5 minutes to do, and you can do this anytime during the day if you want to be sharper, more focused, steady, and calm.
How to do the breathwork meditation
Sit with a straight spine on the chair or cross-legged on the floor. Place the palm of the right hand against the back of the left hand, at the heart center, a few inches from the body. The hands and forearms are parallel to the ground. Press the thumb tips together. The eyes are 9/10ths closed. Inhale deeply through the nose and calmly hold your breath for 15-20 seconds. Exhale completely through the nose and calmly hold your breath out for 15-20 seconds. Concentrate on your breath. Do it for 5 minutes.
My prayer is that we all learn how to remain steady and calm so that nothing can disturb our inner peace, even in the most challenging and unpleasant situations.
In loving service,
Rosan
