INNER PEACE/OUTWARD REALITY

They say that peace comes from within, not from the external environment. If this is indeed true, there is no better time to test this theory than now.

It may be easier to achieve inner peace when you are living on a mountaintop in Tibet; but I can’t say from personal experience whether that is even true. I only know that from where I am sitting (in the middle of NYC in the summer of 2016), there are many sensory experiences in my ordinary day that challenge anyone to feel at peace. Of course, I try and avoid the polarization that has infected our society, because I don’t see the benefits of participating in all that. I’m not ignoring the presidential election; I’m just not basing my happiness on it.

From the honking horns of the traffic below me, to the fast-paced energy in the streets, this is the ultimate experience; if I can achieve peace of mind here than I have achieved something-maybe not a Nobel prize…haha, but something worthwhile nonetheless. This is the true “Pepsi Challenge.”

Here’s my arsenal that I use to get and keep that peace:

1.I meditate on an (almost) daily basis.

2. I take plenty of kundalini yoga.

3. I eat plenty of greens- this summer a homemade kale salad with farm fresh vegetables really rocks.

4.  I indulge in my new-favorite smoothie: watermelon, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and dates.

5.   I avoid negative people and their constant complaints.

6    I ride my new bike on the bike paths that run along the East river/Hudson river. The East river bike path is old school and a hodgepodge of make-shift trails, but there are no cars, and the views as you glide under the Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn bridges are awesome. The West side bike path on the Hudson River is California like: created by spotless new parks with impeccably maintained grasses and flowers.

7.   I take short trips outside the city to the mountains and the beach.

8.   I read something inspiring before going to sleep.

9.   I binge-watch Netflix.

10.   I just relax and enjoy the summer.

What’s your method to keep the peace?