Ways To Acceptance: Find Your Inner Peace
A guest article by Marina Lukoschat
Do you know those days when everything goes wrong? Those days when you feel completely overloaded? By life circumstances, emotions and all the other things that keep you from seeing clearly? Often it feels like you are the only person with many problems, especially with social media, where other people's lives seem perfect from the outside. But one thing is for sure: you are not alone! We all have problems, don't feel good some days and have to face life's challenges; and that's okay!
"The only constant thing in the universe is change."
- Heraklit
Everything in life comes and goes, nothing is constant, and we always have the opportunity to see life as an invitation to learn and grow. We cannot control what happens to us in life, yet we have a choice in how we react to situation. Do we choose to act out of a reaction? Or do we choose to pause for a moment to face a problem with awareness? Your perspective, your personal choice decides whether you want to be the victim or the hero/heroine of your life situation.
The first step to letting go and finding more peace is acceptance. When we accept our circumstances, we do not stand still but evolve. Acceptance does not mean that you approve of a problem, a person's action or difficult life circumstances; it means that you have decided that you deserve peace.
Allow yourself to feel all your emotions, do not repress anything. Cry, scream, laugh, give free rein to your feelings and do not judge them. But allow yourself to let them go again, just as they came. Easier said than done – and some days we will find it easier than others. Nevertheless, we can come back to acceptance and accept when we have made a mistake or when we have not reacted in the best possible way to a situation. In these moments, we can choose to approach ourselves gently and with love, to learn from a situation and try to do better next time. Isn't that what life is all about? To make mistakes? To learn and grow? To change? We would never change if everything in life stayed the same. When we look back on our lives, often it is the biggest challenges that made us grow the most.
How can you find more acceptance in your life?
Meditation
Take a moment for yourself, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to feel all your emotions without judging them. If a situation has triggered you, visualise it in your mind. See the situation or a certain person, feel all that you need to feel, and in your mind, say to the person or to yourself, "I forgive you and I deserve peace." (Video in German)
Journaling
Get a notebook and start writing. Write down all your thoughts and feelings, don't hold back, there is no right or wrong. Journaling helps to reflect, to understand yourself better and to let go. It is a beautiful complement to meditation.
Questions to guide you:
• What feeling does this situation or person trigger in me?
• What does this feeling want to tell me? What do I need at this moment?
• Can I trace this feeling back to a specific situation?
• How can I accept this situation or person and find more peace?
Be kind to yourself!
Our inner dialogue is often critical and harsh, we would probably never talk like this to our family or friends. Try to be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes, it is human nature. Remember that you always have the option to change your mind and go to a different direction. Take full responsibility for your life!
Marina Lukoschat
Marina is a Yoga Teacher and teaches Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga as well as Meditation in Düsseldorf. In yoga, she found a way to reconnect with her body. She has been passionate about sharing this gift ever since. She loves accompanying people on their yoga journey, helping them to ground themselves through meditation and improve their overall well-being. Marina is convinced that yoga can benefit everyone and that it is a faithful companion under all circumstances.
