Whether dreams are messages from somewhere beyond us or simply our minds sorting through what we have been carrying, this one felt less like a prediction and more like a mirror... For much of my life, fear and scarcity were my default settings. I worried about money, panicked about my health, questioned whether I mattered, and tried to fix everything for everyone around me. I became very good at shrinking myself to fit inside rooms that were never designed to hold all of me.

Have you ever caught your mind spinning a frightening story about the future—only to discover that the story wasn’t true? Our minds are astonishingly creative. Unfortunately, they don’t always use that creativity in our favor. Given an unanswered question or an uncertain future, the mind can quickly fill the empty space with everything that might go wrong.

In a world filled with noise, uncertainty, and constant distraction, finding peace can feel impossible. After attending the closing event for the Walk for Peace in Washington, DC, contemporary mixed media artist Precious Burger shares a simple mindfulness practice—and how breath, presence, and creativity can help you reconnect, find calm, and create from a place of grounded peace.