Summoning Serenity

Serenity might be described as a feeling of peace and contentment, coupled with an embracing of circumstances and relations. It's not dull at all, but very aware and engaging. For many, it may seem like a distant fantasy; something found only in fairy tales. But it's really a very ordinary occurrence.

The most common occasions when people stumble across a feeling of tranquility are during random encounters with the natural world. Different situations resonate more fully with different people. It may be sitting on a beach hearing the waves come and go, toes in the sand and sun bearing down, gulls flying overhead. Perhaps it's lingering by a babbling stream in some lush woods with spires of sun darting through the canopy, birds singing, leaves rustling and squirrels frolicking. Maybe pausing for a dazzling sunset, watching bees blossom hopping or even seeing nature via TV – a living reef in action, the saga of family along an arduous migration or a time-lapse view of a flower blooming or frond unfurling. Maybe all of the above.

The beauty of the earth, its flora and fauna and the serendipitous splendor of a finely balanced ecosystem are wondrous and awe inspiring. Most everyone has been stunned into inner silence by the majesty of this world we've been blessed to belong to.

This can serve as a handy pocket catalyst for transforming one's state of mind, on demand. We first need to recognize that we are in an undesirable state and that we have the capacity to change it. But those issues are in or for other articles.

Just like shifting gears in a car, going from reverse directly into drive may not be the best plan. It helps to slide into neutral and pause momentarily, first. There are many methods for releasing unwanted moods – more fodder for/in other pieces. Ideally, one learns to let it go quickly with just a few mindful breaths.

It's OK to use any visualization technique, if that's what works. There obviously aren't any real gears to strip, or an actual clutch to burn out. It's just my experience that it's much easier to clearly hone in on a chosen feeling when there's not the distraction of a pre-existing emotional state.

Neutral, itself, is a very soothing state to be in. But when the desire is for a more buoyant mood, eliciting a memory or imagining a time in a favored natural environment can elevate the vibrations and promote a feeling of connection with life and all relations. That feeling can then be fertilized and invited to prosper.

Serenity, tranquility, peacefulness, quietude, whatever label it wears, is just a state of mind – one that's always available, one we can choose to nurture, if we adopt a new relationship with our attitudes and develop the skills to intentionally manifest them. We already know it well. We just need to close our eyes, dip our toes back into that running stream and let it wash over us.