My Journey with Peace

There are many roads to Peace; for me the way is simple meditation to music. I heard music from the beginning; on that quiet, late winter morning I remember the multi-layered chattering's of nature’s birdsong echoing through the haunting reverbs of the Botanical forest, the Leith stream added its unrepeated burble to the transient mix and Nature’s great symphony played its overture to my landing –I could see with my ears.

I followed music into my childhood, teenage years and through my twenties to the tune of rock'n'roll. A succession of guitars, song writing, performing and bands shaped the landscape of my youth. But with my thirties came the voice I previously had not had the silence to hear, the voice that asked - “Jeffree, who are you when you’re not being a musician?”

Before, I might have dismissed the relevance of such a question. However, now it seemed quite meaningful. As I thought about it, there was a feeling of anticipation – like somehow the answer was close by. I have a spatial learning style and I began imagining the scenario. Who am I when I’m not being a musician? Just for a brief moment I saw a snapshot of my childhood and in that same moment I also saw what I had become since.

I began thinking about what I had become over the years. I saw myself always seeing things in a particular way. Like a racehorse with blinkers I would charge forward. I was driven, and I wasn’t completely in control of that. I saw the intensity of what I had become obscuring something really important. The musician in me had taken over everything. What was beneath could only be what came before the musician. It seemed too important to ignore. I started to get a sense of a “deeper me” and I wanted to explore that. In timely fashion the voice responded, “Well then, let go and just BE YOU!”

Right at that moment without question, I did exactly that. I sat quietly; there was a deep sighing, a moment of surrender. I felt relieved, and at the same time I felt more true to myself. I released rock'n'roll from my résumé and delved deeper. I learned to meditate.

I had arrived home.

As the mental clutter began to clear I started remembering things. When I relaxed deeply I could go there and be one with the music just as it was, echoing softly through the ether. It was perfect for meditation. I could feel it in my heart I could build it in my mind. Having the music and meditation arrive in my life at the same time was unquestionably synchronistic.

As a song composer, the idea of creating instrumental music for meditation was an engaging prospect.

Being at peace with myself exists as a constant within my deepest nature. Unlike most other things that are achieved through striving, to “be at peace” is an undoing of action, and a surrendering of effort. In this “profoundly peaceful moment” there is no attachment to attainment or achievement - everything is complete.

Meditation released the stress and resurfaced the passion and purpose for my life. The more stress I released, the more enhanced is the quality of my attention in each moment. The richer the moment, the healthier is my life, my relationships and my profession. The healthier I became in mind and body, the happier and more content I felt.

Now I want to help you find the peace in your life.

Regular meditation progressively awakens within us, a natural and profound sense of inner peace. These feelings of inner peace are always within us but they are hidden below layers of accumulated stress. Becoming aware of our inner peace is the result of stress being released and this is the essential purpose of meditation. Releasing stress and becoming more peaceful within, contributes significantly to our general health and wellbeing.

Meditating daily is medicine for life.

I believe meditation is what is missing in our information age. For humans to advance mentally there is no doubt we must meditate daily – or even more. We must take time out each day to meditate, to be with ourselves and to clear the stresses we constantly accumulate.

“If we don’t release our stress, we accumulate it!”

Spending years writing music for meditation brought home to me the most fundamental element of meditation. “Stillness” was where meditation began. Being able to maintain a state of continuous stillness while staying awake was the “bare-essential” of meditation. The purpose of the music was to empower the continuity of that state.

Meditation would have to become an easy everyday practice. In Simply Stillness what I have developed is a straightforward method with no–frills and no strings attached.

I have so much more that I want to share on this topic, written and audible! Sign up to my mailing list to receive weekly content, guidance for meditation and FREE music!

Jeffree