“Living the calm life” is a religion anyone can follow
No matter what religious beliefs you treasure and celebrate, one “religion” everyone can practice is: The Religion of Calm.
Religion is defined as, “a particular system of faith and worship,” and “a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.”
Why Calm is a religion
Think about what makes a person “religious.” Being religious is more than an action, it’s how they live their lives. People reach for their religion to help ground them in times of crisis and chaos, and to help them make decisions.
Calm promotes peace. Most people connect with religion to give them peace, and while I sometimes refer to myself as a “Jew-Bu” (Jewish-Buddhist), I also deeply believe in the power of calm to bring me this peace.
Calm is a ritual and a lifestyle. More than a belief system, religions are based on rituals and actions. I talk a lot about the rituals and habits I perform that foster my calm. From daily gratitude journaling to morning meditations to flexing my calm muscle throughout the day to staying calm when things go wrong, I am constantly practicing what my religion “preaches.”
Calm is a healthy filter for decision-making. What activities, events, and ways of life will help you be more calm versus more stressed? Just like running through a situation with the lens of your religion (I see you, my WWJD peeps!) If you use this filter to know when to say yes and when to say no, you’ll increase your zen.
“The Holy Trinity” of Calm
The Mind, Body, and Spirit work together – all are necessary components to fostering calm. We are comprehensive human beings, and if one of our main elements is off, the others will be as well. Learning how to cultivate calm in these three areas will help you be as peaceful as the Dalai Lama.
The Mind
If you’re feeling like life’s a sh*& show, nurturing your mind is where you should start. Without the right mindset, none of the calm rituals will work.
Tips to nurture your mind: Give your mind time to actively recover in between focused tasks. Don’t try to multi-task when doing something that requires your concentration. Do an activity that relaxes your mind, such as a puzzle or Soduku.
The Body
No matter what your physical abilities are, you can find ways to nurture your body, which will make your mind feel sharper and more rested. The better you take care of your body, the better it will take care of you.
Tips to nurture your body: Eat well (even just small habit changes can add up to big effects). Get your sleep (mamas of newborns, I know this is harder – showers are nurturing too!). Daily exercise or stretching of any kind.
The Spirit
Many of us are so busy we don’t even know how to find our spirit. To locate it, think about an activity which makes you lose track of time. When you feel more energized after it. Think of what makes you feel most like YOU, like your best self.
Tips to nurture your spirit: Pray or meditate. Read. Engage in your favorite hobby. Gratitude journal daily. Take a walk in nature (bonus: while listening to a meditation, that hits all three elements!)
Why you should start practicing Calm now
So many people are suffering with life stressors – the pandemic, holidays, workloads, kids. I have learned by witnessing this in myself and others close to me, that the longer you stay out of touch with your Calm and out of practice in the religion of practicing Calm, the higher likelihood your Mind, Body or Spirit will suffer – sometimes to the point of dire consequences.
Now is always a great time to begin practicing Calm, which will help you in every area of your life. Living the calm life creates space for you to not only do all the things you need to do, but to actually be present for them and enjoy them. How do you want to show up for your life? Can seeing calm as a religion help you make it a priority?
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