Since the popularity of the modern yoga and meditation movement several decades ago, specifically the late 80s and early 90s, practitioners and gurus have focused on creating a stronger connection between the mind, body, and spirit.
The mind, body, spirit connection defines your center, your true self.
By knowing and understanding your center, you discover a newfound freedom that takes you away from the distractions that surround you in favor of the practice of mindfulness – the ability to surrender to the present moment, thereby creating a stronger sense of self.
Recognize Your Sense of Well-Being
This stronger sense of self defines your well-being, a state that is created by a healthy balance in all aspects of life and is the key to living a happy and successful life.
Properly maintaining an equal balance of personal life, family, spouse, children, extended family, and professional life, helps you stay focused on living your best life.
Examine the Unexamined Life
Finding your center begins with examining the unexamined life. Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher in the first century wrote: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Einstein concluded: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
And Buddha added: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Look Within Yourself to Find Balance
The path to understanding and maintaining your center focuses on determining what is most important in your life.
This necessitates spending time with yourself and looking within yourself to find inspiration and energy, which in turn will help clarify your thoughts and allow you to identify the stressors that are putting your balance at risk.
Once you have identified the cause of your stress, review your core belief system and ask if your anxiety is adding value to a healthy state of being.
The following are several questions to consider when stress is getting in the way of living a balanced life:
- Is the stress real? Is it imagined?
- If the stress is real, how do you identify it as true? Is the stress more in your head than in reality?
- How do you react when you believe your stress is real?
- Who would you be without that stress? If anxiety is not the real story you tell, what is?
Four Ways to Help Find Your Center After 60
There are various methods that can help you find your center. Here are some options:
Meditate
Meditation consists of letting your thoughts go by without judgment or labels and surrendering to the moment. Even if you meditate for 5 minutes or 50 minutes, you can move into a peaceful space by letting go of your fears, anxiety, and prejudices that often consume your life.
It is like peeling away the skins of an onion. Every meditation slows down your thoughts and gets you closer to the center of your being. The result is a more joyful center.
Take Time to Rest
You live in an environment full of distraction. It is important that you take the time out to cherish your body. Allow it to replenish its strength and nutrients. Seek some alone time during the day and see how peaceful it is to find your quiet center.
Finding time to fit in personal me time, allows the body and spirit to receive that much needed and well-deserved rest, which gives you time to focus on mental relaxation, meditation, spiritual worship, and connectedness.
Choose Balance
Choosing balance means judging your surroundings, deciding on what works best for you, and remaining in a place of stability.
Whenever you start to get off track and lose balance, remember that a healthy balance equals a healthy life. Place the value on living a life of balance, self-care, and self-respect. Give credence to a positive self-image and a greater sense of self-appreciation.
Sometimes the best treatment and personal care we can give ourselves is the beauty of silence. Background noise, or white noise, can be distracting without your being aware of its intrusion into your thoughts and feelings.
Silence can be the key to developing a stronger sense of self, to strengthening resolve, and to making important decisions. Silence can be your best friend.
A healthy life balance means a much happier existence. Remind yourself of what matters most to you.
Your center is your truth. Your center holds your values and core beliefs. It can sometimes be disconcerting to face your sense of self and discover answers to questions you would rather leave unanswered.
However, the freedom that comes with finding your center and living your authentic life will set you on the path of bliss and joy.