BLOG 37 - BUILD YOUR OWN PEACE PRACTICE

Build Your Own Peace Practice, And Keep ItThe day paramedics lifted me onto a gurney, I felt oddly calm. I remember thinking, it probably was not my time, and if it was, I was at peace. That moment changed how I walk through life. It deepened my respect for skilled medical care, and it strengthened my trust in my inner GPS. In my book, Let’s Be Peace: 20 Unique Paths to Healing Yourself and Spreading Peace in the World, I say it simply: “Love and trust yourself.” Be your “own best doctor,” not by skipping care, but by listening within and choosing your team wisely.
Why I Wrote This Book For YouLet’s Be Peace is a circle of voices, not just mine. I invited healers from many paths to share practical tools you can try now. The promise that holds us together is this: “embrace what resonates with you and discard what does not.” When you find peace inside, it naturally spreads—one person at a time. You, then me, then the next person who feels your calm and softens too.
A Simple Start You Can Use TodayHere is how I begin, and how many readers begin too:

• Breathe with structure. Try breathe in for the count of 4-hold for 4-breathe out for 4-hold for 4 or 4-7-8. These rhythms slow your system and clear your mind.
• Ask your gut. Take a breath, ask your question, and notice your body’s response. If you feel off, wait or choose a different step.
• Practice forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others, so you can move forward with less weight.
• Count your gratitudes. I do mine before I get out of bed and again before I fall asleep.

These small moves work because they are steady and repeatable. Peace grows through simple, daily choices.
Three Habits I Return To Again And Again1) Breathe With CountWhen I use 4-4-4-4 or 4-7-8, I feel myself land in the present. Breath by breath, the mind settles, and answers come forward with less noise. These counts are easy to remember, and you can do them anywhere.
2) Clean Your ThoughtsSeveral contributors in my book speak about “mental hygiene.” We shower our bodies, so why not rinse the mind? Notice your words. Ask if your thoughts match the life you want to live. This gentle habit steadies mood and choices over time.
3) Gratitude With The “Because”Writing “I am grateful for … because …” turns a list into a feeling. The “because” matters. It deepens the truth of what is good, and it raises your energy. It also brings you home to what is already working.
Let Your Inner GPS LeadI say this often: “You are your own best doctor.” Breathe, ask your body, listen for the answer, then choose your next step. In her chapter, Susan Kennard offers a simple practice. Breathe into your heart and ask, “What do I need to know about this pain, or this pattern?” Then write a few lines. It does not have to be long. When you do this often, you start to see what actually helps you.
Karin Hubah reminds us to make quiet time a real thing, not a wish. Silence, meditation, or gentle yoga gives you space to hear. It may feel uncomfortable at first. Keep going. That is how you learn to trust the soft voice that knows.
Bring Peace Into Your Space And Your DayFeng Shui practitioner Tricia Shea gives a friendly rule I love: “Be what you want to have.” If you want support, be supportive. If you want peace, create it in your space and your actions. It is not about decorating. It is about the feeling your room creates, the way your home helps your body unclench and your shoulders drop.
A small tip I now use in the morning, and during yoga: I count with “Let’s Be Peace.” One Let’s Be Peace, two Let’s Be Peace. It keeps my mind on what I want to live.
When Life Is Hard, Do Not PretendPeace is not pretending. In her chapter, Brenda Michaels writes about meeting cancer by “accepting what is.” Not defeat, clarity. She explains that fighting reality fed fear, and calm opened her system so help and answers could find her. I have seen this again and again. When we stop pushing against “what is,” we can breathe, think, and choose with more care.
Some contributors share another steady lesson. Turn down the noise that drags you into fear. Step away from inputs that pull you off center. Ask simple questions: Is this message fear-based, or useful? Is this important right now? If not, set it aside and return to what matters today.
Keep Only What Works For YouI do not hand out rigid plans. I suggest you set a personal “barometer,” then review what is working and what is not. For some, monthly check-ins feel right. For others, quarterly. Trust your gut. Keep the keepers. Let go of practices that no longer help. One size does not fit all, and that is good news.
A Simple Weekly FlowHere is how you can begin, like a friend sitting with you at the kitchen table:

• Pick two or three practices that feel right to you, for example, counted breathing, a heart question, and “gratitude because.” Use them daily in small, realistic moments.
• At the end of the week, write what lifted your mood or energy and what felt forced. Keep what helps. Release what does not. Remember my guiding line: embrace what resonates and discard what does not.
• Before you say yes to any new class or practitioner, pause. Ask, do I feel respected and supported here? Do they “walk their talk”? If not, move on. Choose people who lift you up and help you remember who you are.

What Changes When You Personalize Peace

• Stress loosens. With steady breath, kinder thoughts, and real forgiveness, your nervous system gets room to rest. Clearer thinking follows.
• Choices get simpler. You stop chasing every method and notice what helps in your real life.
• Your calm spreads. When you carry peace inside, it naturally touches the people near you. This is how a movement grows, one person at a time.

A Line I Carry Everywhere“Love and trust yourself.” If you want one line for your pocket, let it be this. Start there. Breathe with count. Ask your heart a clear question. Write one “because” of gratitude. Keep what helps. Let the rest fall away. Let’s be peace, together, one honest breath at a time.
If you would like to read more of my reflections and related pieces gathered in one place, you can find them on my Inkflare profile at https://inkflare.ai/profile/karen-cohen/.  PEACE WHISPERER KAREN