The holidays are here, and many of us feel some anxiety around family, events, celebrations. We’re told it’s a joyful time, but we may not always feel that way. Worries and concerns are not so easy to lay aside.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it is said that we each have a place of refuge within us, and that we can access it when we turn our attention to it.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a teacher in the Bön Buddhist tradition, tells us that there are three ways we can access this place of peace, and those are by looking for stillness, silence, or spaciousness. He calls these the three doors, and they all lead to the same place.

When it feels as if there is too much activity going on, whether that is external activity  or a sense of restlessness, look for a sense of stillness within. If there are too many conversations, or too many thoughts, turn to the silence that exists within. If there is a sense of enclosure, or entrapment, contemplate spaciousness.

You don’t need to make or create stillness, silence, and spaciousness. They already exist. Turn your attention away from the pain and focus it on one of these three doors to peace.

Here is an article by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Reconnecting with Ourselves.

Wishing all of you a peaceful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

“Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice… No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out.”—Thich Nhat Hanh