Monday, March 2, 2015

Patience

Greetings Sadhakas,

This week in class we are exploring patience.

Living the Good Life

Patience

Why do we hear so little about patience today?  There almost seems to be a conspiracy in our modern civilization to counsel just the opposite: be impatient, be angry, “look out for number one.”  But what is life without patience?....We seldom realize what power there is in patience.  All the energy consumed in exploding against others, in retaliating, in unkind words, in the anger that brings grief to others and ulcers to ourselves – all that energy can be harnessed as positive, creative power, simply by learning patience…….Imagine someone who cannot be disturbed even if you are rude or unkind to him.  Imagine someone who moves closer to you when you get angry, instead of running away; someone who keeps showing respect even when you try to strike out and hurt him.  Simply being around such people is a joy.  Their practice rubs off.  Gradually we want to be like them.  When we have a selfish impulse, we reject it; we have seen something higher.  Once we have an ideal like this to live up to, we try to stretch ourselves a little every day; we see opportunities in every challenge.

                                                                        -Eknath Easwaran

                                                                      
Yoga Gems: A Treasury of Practical and Spiritual Wisdom from Ancient and Modern Masters – Edited by Georg Feurstein  

The homework is to notice when you are being impatient with yourself and work to turn this impatience into patience for yourself.  Then encourage this practice to “rub off” into other areas of your life.  Start with the little interactions that make up each day and be slower and more patient.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

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