Day 248 Intention ~ Find Patience

Day 248 Intention ~ Find Patience

Waiting in line for a music festival is trying enough. Waiting to get into a music festival while your friends friends get their tickets and try to maneuver around people is more trying. Why stick with them? So we can camp together of course.

Keep breathing is all I can say :)

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 231 Intention ~ Be Understanding...and Kind

Day 231 Intention ~ Be Understanding...and Kind

In my line of work you deal with the general public...a lot. Many ask me questions before or after class about either some of the yoga poses we did in class that day, about certain studios/teachers, or other general yoga questions. 

Of course, I am always open to these questions and love when my students are interested in learning more. 

Every once in awhile, someone just keeps going and going. There are definitely people that need a little more hand holding in class and after class. Although I do try to be understanding, it can get to me at times. Today, I can feel that I have a bit of an annoyance coming on when it comes to a certain student, which is NOT how I want to feel or act towards this person. 

So, today, I am trying to remind myself to be understanding and kind to this student. This is my intention. But first, a few deep breaths in and out. :)

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 180 Intention ~ Put Myself In Another's Shoes

Day 180 Intention ~ Put Myself In Another's Shoes

Today marks the 16th class that I have taught since Monday. Exhausting to say the least. When I get to this point, the energy level starts to drop and rarely, but it can happen, I lose patience. 

As I dragged myself to class today, a new student was waiting for me at the door. She had many questions for me as I was trying to get her and myself set up with waivers, sign-in sheets, the pass book, and on and on. I could feel myself tensing up as I just needed about 2 minutes to get it together. And, luckily, realizing what was happening, I caught myself. I pulled the grumpy out of me and visualized myself in her shoes. I became empathetic to her concerns and needs rather than self-absorbed and childishly curt because I didn't get my pre-class "zen" time. It was her fault that I was running a few minutes behind my usual routine or that I had stayed up too late last night. 

The times that I have done this in the past throughout life, I always feel badly about it and beat myself up, feeling like a complete jerk. So, I am glad that I could stop it before I spoke today & saved any hurt feelings and possibly gained a new student from the situation.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 28 Intention ~ Find Patience Even in Frustrating Situations

Day 28 Intention ~ Find Patience Even in Frustrating Situations

Trying to breathe through it. If you read yesterday's intention, it was about bringing grace to each moment everyday and enjoying life. Today, as a deadline approaches and I am having difficulty fulfilling my assignment, I feel stress and frustration looming over my head. 

Take 10 deep breaths...okay that helped. I know that keeping my head and being patient with this process is going to make it work much better for my constitution than getting frustrated and stressing out about it. 

When we get challenged in life, it's how we deal with the challenge that is the test. Same thing in yoga, on our mat. If a pose is difficult for us to do, if we grunt and groan and try to force ourselves into it, chances are, our body will tighten up, making the pose even more challenging or we may hurt ourselves. If we breathe through it and mindfully and consciously try to take all of the steps in the journey, we will get there. 

Take 10 deep breaths and know that it will all work out okay. You may save yourself from a sleepless night or a headache later if you do. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 17 Intention ~ Remain Patient

Day 17 Intention ~ Remain Patient

I apologize for another short, quick blog today, but it's been crazy over here. 

Patience is a virtue. 

Today, my husband had to go back to Metro to a doctor's appointment and to get some blood work done. I drove him because of the high quantities of medications he's been taking lately because of his illness. As you can imagine, we got there and sat and waited for the doctor. Then, we went to blood drawing and the room was packed, so we waited some more. 

As time passed, and our day drifted away. I wondered if I'd make my writing deadline in a relaxed fashion or have to pull a late night trying to get it finished. I felt myself tensing up. I started to stress out. I lost my focus and priority again! (See yesterday's intention.)

Breathe. Breathe deep. Focus on the third eye, a.k.a. the ajna chakra. Deep breaths can help calm a fired up mind and create patience in an impatient being. 

The writing is just about done and patience is still a virtue. 

Til tomorrow.

Shanti, 

Marcia

Patience

When you decided to add a mantra to your meditation practice it's easy to begin a quest trying to seek out the mantra that is right for you. By surfing the internet, reading books like "Mantras: Words of Power" by Swami Sivananda Radha, then you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of mantras out there for the taking.

Should it be in Sanskrit?

Should it be Buddhist?

Should it refer to the doctrine I was raised under?

This task can become daunting and that pressure may lead you to just give up all together. So simplicity is key. Just like all things in the Universe, when we are meant to have something - it will come to us. The Buddha stated that "Money is like water, try to grab it and it flows away, open your hands and it will move towards you." This is true with everything in life, not just money. The riches of love, happiness, companionship - patience is the key.

When you are seeking out your mantra and you are met with the myriad of questions from "Who is Lakshmi?" to what the intent is, is it the same as yours?

Just wait.

I find that when I feel it's time to find a new mantra, after looking and reading and researching - somewhere in the middle of my day I'll find it rolling around in my head, my own voice chanting the words.

In Catholic Doctrine they list 52 attributes known as virtues that range from Assertiveness to Unity, but while all of them server an important purpose in life - patience should always float to the top.

If we pause

If we breathe

If we wait

What we need will come to us, no, maybe not in the form we though it would - but it will be there, I can tell you that much.

Shuni Mudra "The Seal of Patience"

Formed by placing the thumb against the tip of the middle finger, the Shuni Mudra is said to prompt patience.

Shuni is translated to "Saturn" just as the middle finger is representation of the same planet, and Saturn is known as the Task Master. In charge of the Law of Karma, taking hold of responsibility, courage, duty. Saturn helps you to be disciplined. This mudra holds the ability to give you stability and strength.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana "One Legged King Pigeon Pose"

This pose stretched out the thighs, groin, psoas, abdominal, chest, shoulders and neck. The first in a series of pigeon poses, beginning on the right with your shin parallel with the top of your mat and your left leg stretched out behind you - making sure your left foot is lying straight and not leaning to the right or left side. Breathing in and elongating the side bodies then folding over the front leg. Holding this pose on each side for a minute each.

Breathing into your groin and the psoas and letting go.

"We find that patience is the best means we have of defending ourselves internally from anger's destructive effects"

~ The Dalai Lama

May you have a beautiful week

~Namaste~