Why creating a ‘deep well of peace’ is crucial to health

PRIME – December 2014 By Victor Acquista, MD Author Pathways to Health: An Integral Guidebook Autumn is a time for me personally when I tend to be more reflective. I like to imagine that as the harvest has been collected, the land needs to settle into a time of rest and I need to go with the flow. Late fall and early winter is often taken over by all the hubbub and stress associated with holidays and it seems all the more important to me to rest up and recharge. This month’s column reflects this sentiment and really points to a much deeper aspect of health than we typically think about or address in discussions and education about health. That deeper aspect is, in some ways, beyond the thinking mind and dwells more at the level of the soul and spirit. I write this today, immersed in a deep well of peace and want to share with you what that means to me and why I believe it is something for you to reflect upon and contemplate. I believe very strongly that your health will benefit as you learn to immerse yourself in your own deep well of peace. What does it mean to be at peace? At some level within, I think you know the answer to this question. Peace occurs in association with a stilling of the chattering mind and mental thoughts about good things, bad things, memories, hopes, failures, accomplishments, things to do, things not to do, etc., etc. When you are at peace, you are not thinking about all these things and your mind is still. Peace is also associated with a lack of wants or desires. When you are at peace, your wants and desires have temporarily been abated, they are not in your consciousness during those moments of peace. In many ways you cannot experience peace fully when you are consumed, even partially, by wants or needs. Contentment is a state where needs and wants are satisfied, but it should not be mistaken for peace. Peace requires more than quieting the mind and meeting needs/wants. At an emotional level we cannot be in a destructive emotional state (see my October PRIME column on destructive emotions) and experience peace. Peace is typically associated with joy and happiness; yet, you can be joyful and happy and not be at peace. Internal vs. external There are many life events and circumstances that bring us joy and happiness. Celebrations, gifts (giving and receiving), unexpected good surprises, an excellent meal shared with friends are just a few of these types of events and circumstances. These are all external things that we react to in a positive joyful way and we feel happy. These positive feelings subside and fade as we react to subsequent events and circumstances in our lives. The joy and happiness associated with peace are internal affairs. In many ways they are a byproduct of being at peace and flow out of that state. This type of joy lasts as long as we are continuing to draw from that deep well of peace from within ourselves. External affairs affect our internal responses and consequently our experience. Our internal affairs similarly generate our experience. Ultimately, peace is not about thinking or feeling so much as experiencing. How can I experience more peace? Many spiritual teachers have taught about peace. You might want to research teachings that resonate for you. My research (part of which comes from great teachers and part from self-reflection) confirms that peace does not come from the world around us but is something within each and every one of us. Yet, the peace from within can be difficult to access when we are surrounded by noise and chaos. It is easier to go deep within when we are free of noise and distractions. Have a place in your home, a quiet spot that is comfortable. This is a place of safe refuge, a haven, a sanctuary. This is a place for you to draw from the deep well of peace from within. Find another place outside where you experience nature and it is easy to quiet your mind. There, too, is another good place to draw from your well. Create places in your mind where you can visualize and go to. Physically you cannot always be in the places inside or outside your home where you cultivate peace. But you can always access your visualized places of peace. I call them power places, happy places. These are all places – physical or mental– where it is easy to immerse yourself in the deep well of peace. Meditation is an effective way to access this well. Here in this place your soul finds refuge. Here in this place of serenity and tranquility you find the peace that the world cannot give. And from this place you can proceed in the world amidst the noise and the haste and move quietly and in peace. Have you met someone in your life that seems to be living from a place of peace? The gentle smile on their face with lines and creases of joy and happiness, their gaze of loving eyes, their demeanor and countenance of patience are all things that come across without words. That person can be you. Affirmation: Within me is a deep well of peace that I can access and draw from at any time. Intention: Today I shall draw deeply from the well of peace within myself. May your holidays be filled with peace and joy! Victor Acquista MD is author of “Pathways To Health: An Integral Guidebook.” For more information on Dr. Acquista’s book, visit http://pathstohealth.info/.