The concept of equanimity refers to the ability to be even-keeled throughout the ebbs and flows of life. Ideally, we should be free of aversions and instead rooted in the transcendent energy within all phases and forms. The following are five key tools to help you move through life without being overtaken by its stresses, dramas, addictions and attachments:
1. Meditation
Meditation is a cornerstone of mindful living and a road to Enlightenment. It quiets the mind and allows our true self to shine through more brightly. Daily meditation centers us and helps us to stay in balance no matter what the day brings.
2. “Be the Watcher”
Whether in meditation or going about your day, you can always practice “being the Watcher” of your thoughts and emotions. The “Watcher” state refers to a consciousness beyond the reactionary part of ourselves. “Being the Watcher” strengthens our ability to be in a transcendent space in the world so that we are not swept away by any form.
3. Reflect on Impermanence
It is easy to see the impermanence of form in the rising and setting of the sun, the bloom and withering of a flower, or the changing of the seasons. It is less easy to sense in the aging of buildings, cities, mountains, the earth or the cosmos, but nothing is fixed and solid. All is in flux, ever-changing. As you reflect on impermanence, sense what is constant within all forms: the life-force energy of consciousness.
4. Contemplate Emptiness
The concept of emptiness says no form has inherent meaning; there must always be an observer or perceiver to define it, perhaps even to cause it to exist at all. Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. All objects and situations arise from Source and return to it. Our transcendent dimension is strengthened by this awareness, and we are less prone to being swept away by a “story” we have made up about any situation.
5. Present Moment Awareness
Our minds can tie us to the past with feelings of regret or anger, or make us fearful of a future that hasn’t happened yet. However, these are just constructs of the mind; the dynamic present moment right now is the only true reality. Stilling the mind and tuning into this energy of pure potential assists us in staying centered and balanced.
The goal of mindfulness is an awareness of the true nature of things. Use these five practices to be “in the world, but not of the world,” and become more of who you truly are each day.
