Peace Meditation

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I just returned from St. Paul, MN, where I had the pleasure of speaking with the Board of World Citizen World—(a nonprofit organization for everyone who values a safe and respectful world—about peace.

With that event fresh in my mind, I thought, “This is a great time to share my peace meditation.” 

I use a mala. If you’re not familiar, think of it as a Buddhist rosary. Typically a mala has 108 beads, plus the “Guru” bead (usually a bit larger) to indicate the place to begin and end. 

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My mantra is:
“Peace within. Peace without. Peace in me. Peace in the world.” 

Here’s How It’s Done
Starting at the bead on one side of the “Guru” bead, I hold the mala bead between my thumb and middle finger. While holding that bead I: 

Inhale and mentally say — “Peace within.”
Exhale and mentally say — “Peace without.”
Inhale and mentally say — “Peace in me.”
Exhale and mentally — “Peace in the world.”

With this mantra, each bead takes two full breath cycles. After I finish a bead, I move to the next one.

When I make it all the way around and reach the Guru bead, I know that I’ve completed 108 repetitions. If I’m going to continue, I turn the mala around and go back the way I came. 

Do you have a peace practice?

© lauriebuchanan.com

58 thoughts on “Peace Meditation”

  6. You asked a great question, Laurie!

    My practice: As I eat breakfast I listen to meditative music. Then I turn to scripture. Today I read these words from Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee,” and from Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts . . . and be ye thankful.” I have peace within and I pray for peace in our troubled world.

    I’m thankful for your reminder to breathe: inhale, exhale, . . . slowly. 🙂

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  7. Laurie, there is a song we sing at Christmas time but is also a sweet reminder throughout the year. It’s everyday value is priceless. “Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me.”.

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  8. I love this! What a good idea! I especially like the breathing directions. I feel that when you are conscious of your breath, whether in meditation or exercise, your thoughts or movements resonate more deeply.

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  11. Beautiful Laurie! I will add this mantra to my practices. I too like the breathing component which deepens the practice. In high school, we also sang “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me>’ My mother always had a magnet on her refrigerator, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Certainly, a connection between being and fostering peace. As for a personal practice, the closest one I have to peace is each day to offer the Loving Kindness Meditation, which as you likely know starts: “May I be filled with loving-kindness; May I be well; May I be peaceful and at ease; May I be happy. and then it is offered in widening circles outward to even those we most strruggle with. There are numerous versions of this L-K meditation … I use 2-3 different versions. But, this one is appropriate for today’s post! Thanks again for sharing your mantra … after 108 repititions or more, I suspect one would settle into a more peaceful state.

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  12. Love it! I inhale to the count of 5 while I mentally spell P-E-A-C-E , then exhale to the count of 8 and spell L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E. Anytime of day, all day, at a red light, just a way to get in some good breath work and feel the peace as well.

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  13. My morning practice is to read scripture and move into prayer that includes a time of sitting in contemplative silence. I come out of this time in peace. It doesn’t always last, but it’s the best way for me to start each day.

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  14. I do a 90 minute meditation early every morning. And Liangong several morning a week, which is a healing movement and meditation. I do Qigong 9 breaths exercise before bed every night which is specifically about peace. 3 times a week I lead a Intentional healing meditation group which ends with a 10 minutes of breath and focus on freedom from suffering. I use the Choku Rei Reiki healing meditation music as a timer for most of my groups to help with breathing and going deeper. I need lots of practice 🙂

    So not specifically peace….
    This is a nice reminder as so much is just all in our heads!

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    • Dawn — I bought mind in Encinitas, CA at the Temple of Self-Realization. But you can find mala beads at yoga stores, Etsy, etc. Just type “mala beads” in your search bar and you’ll be overwhelmed with the number of places you can find them.

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  19. I do but I have never used prayer beads. I am a visual person so I visualize peace in my heart first, then radiating out to neighbors, community, etc. eventually covering the planet.

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  20. I have some beautiful prayer beads and I have some meditative practices, but nothing quite like you describe, Laurie. This is a lovey practice, and I’d like to consider something very similar. Thank you for sharing, Laurie.

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  22. I have meditated for years Laurie on a regular basis . There are some amazing on line meditations for free worth a look .
    I have started to stop and look out of a window and breathe it’s amazing how good it makes you feel .
    Cherryx

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