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Calmly
 How to Be "Calmly Active" -
Centered in Peace No Matter What You Are Doing…
"To be calmly active and actively calm - a Prince of Peace sitting on the throne of poise, directing the kingdom of activity - is to be spiritually healthy. Too much activity makes one an automaton and too much calmness makes one lazy and impractical. Peace is the enjoyment of life; activity is the expression of life. A balance between the activity of the West and the calmness of the East is needed."
Relaxation and Mental Peace…
"Disturbing psychological states can be substantially alleviated by consciously removing their outer physiological manifestations. Fear often causes you to clench your fists and incline your head slightly forward; and it is certain to cause palpitation of your heart. If you watch for such physiological reactions and relax your hands, straighten your body, breath slowly and deeply and then exhale the breathe and keep it out as long as is comfortable, concentrating on the inner calmness of breathlessness, you will feel some relief from fear."
Balancing Your Spiritual and Material Life…
"The material and the spiritual are but two parts of one universe and one truth. By overstressing one part or the other, man fails to achieve the balance necessary for harmonious development…. Practice the art of living in this world without losing your inner peace of mind. Follow the path of balance to reach the inner wondrous garden of Self-realization."
Simplify Your Life…
"It takes too much time and energy to keep too many possessions in good order. The truth of the matter is that the more unnecessary 'necessities' you have, the less peace you have; and the less you are possessed by possessions, the more happiness you have."
Overcoming Worry…
"Everyone needs to let go of his worries and enter into absolute silence every morning and night. At such times, try to persist for one minute at a time without thinking about your problems. Concentrate for several minutes at a time on this inner peace. Next think of some happy incident; dwell on it, and visualize it; mentally relive the pleasant experience over and over again until you have discarded your worries entirely."
Seclusion is the Price of Greatness…
"When you have finished your duties at the end of the day, sit quietly alone. Take a good book and read it with attention. Then meditate long and deeply. You will find much more peace and happiness in this than in restless activities in which your mind runs riot in all directions….If you cultivate the habit of spending time alone at home in meditation, a great power and peace will come over you. And it will remain with you in your activities as well as in meditation. Seclusion is the price of greatness."
The selections featured here are excerpted from Paramahansa Yogananda's book, INNER PEACE: How To Be Calmly Active and Actively Calm.
Special Opportunity for INNER PEACE
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