Patience...it's a virtue!

Have you ever...

• been standing in line with a few items and everyone in front of you has a cart full of goodies...and no one lets you go ahead of them?

• been driving along the freeway, rocking out to your favorite radio station or cd, and someone just cuts in front of you, oblivious to the fact you were there?

• been waiting patiently at a stop light, you know your light will turn green next, and then an emergency vehicle goes through the intersection in the opposite direction and restarts the whole light cycle again....so you have to keep waiting?

• been about to get to "your" spot in yoga class and then someone was 2 seconds sooner than you were, forcing you to take another spot?

• been on an airplane, ready to taxi out to the runway, when all of a sudden, there's a delay...for an undetermined amount of time?

I am here to remind you...you are not alone. Although in any one of these moments, we feel alone and as if some higher power is punishing us for something we have already done...we are not alone. Before I began practicing yoga, I would get really angry in these situations...and I admit I still have moments when the anger gets through first...but I have begun to view these situations, not as punishments, but as learning opportunities.



The underlying principal of practicing yoga is to learn to BE in the present moment, to notice how we feel, at any given moment, especially those that test the ego. I invite you, the next time you feel your impatience rising from the depths of your core, to exhale s-l-o-w-l-y, close your eyes(as long as you are not driving) and feel your self rooting into the Earth and coming into the present moment and let go of whatever is making you angry. Watch the angry energy leave your body as you focus on filling yourself up with calm, loving energy.



If you are at a stop light, longer than your mind feels it should be...look for the beauty of nature that thrives amidst all the exhaust and concrete. If you are standing in a line...be thankful you have a few minutes to align and exhilarate the body with Tadasana (mountain pose). If you are sitting on an airplane...think of all the extra time you will have to read the book you brought and if you are finding yourself in a different spot in yoga class...notice the difference in your practice...perhaps you will be more aware of your body.

Peace for now :)