365 Day Challenge-Day 26 Sovereign of the Five Elements

Each one of us is sovereign over the territory of our own being and the five elements (Sanskrit: skandhas) we are made of. These elements are form (body), feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. Our practice is to look deeply into these five elements and discover the true nature of our being-the true nature of our suffering, our happiness, our peace, our fearlessness. Thich Nhat Hanh, Your True Home

Top of mind for me today is finding peace. Hopefully the moments of peace I am able to experience each day will find their way into the world. When I think about peace, I think about all the parts of me integrated into the whole, I have a sense of being okay with the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of myself and my life, I able suspend the inner critic that can always find something wrong.

However, peace is not passive, nor do I believe that you can only achieve peace through stillness. I know the lesson suggests we look deeply, and you can look deeply when engaged in a full life. In fact it gives you more to look at and can simplify the process. More data when studied with intention provides a more accurate picture.

So, my suggestion for today is be mindful of your skandhas and be open to new experiences, be willing to enter into situations with fresh eyes instead of the old baggage, and then reflect.

I put together Spaghetti on the Wall, an elegant journal for the messy ideas of life for this very purpose of connecting busy, engaged people with a practice of reflection. SOTW actually asks a bit more from you; it asks for discernment, the practice of learning from our experiences with curiosity and without judgement. SOTW is on sale now and I offer SOTW classes for a deeper dive. Contact me for information, .

We could all do with a little more peace in our lives.

In gratitude,

Kristan