Mindfulness does not unfold its benefits in one day,
Or even after an hour of sitting
in meditation.
The process of getting more calm,
More balanced,
Slowly unfolds with our practice.
The quality of patience is less a matter of passive waiting,
And more a matter of recognizing
our options.
It is very human of us to want to hurry along the good things,
And rush to get away from
the bad things.
And in fact,
It seems like our modern world is designed to encourage this way of living.
We're always seeking the next best thing,
Without always taking time to be in the present.
If we're always impatient for the next step,
Then we're in a state of drive,
Seeking and
striving into the future,
And rarely at ease with what is here right now.
To be patient is to be with each right now in our life,
Whether that is good,
Bad,
Or
neutral.
Being impatient makes us blind to many moments of our lives,
And we might be missing out
on moments that we could otherwise savor.
So we'll practice a little patience here today.
Begin by finding your comfortable position.
You could choose to be seated or lying down.
Taking time to really allow yourself to settle.
Making any adjustments you need so that the body feels supported and comfortable.
You might choose to close the eyes or find a soft gaze.
And then take a few deep breaths,
Allowing the body to relax with each exhale.
With attention focused on the breath,
Notice the sensation of the breath entering the body
on the inhale.
Feel the gentle rise of the abdomen or the coolness of the air entering the nostrils.
And as you exhale,
Release any tension or maybe any impatience,
Allowing the body and
mind to relax.
Now bring to mind a situation in your life that tends to bring a feeling of impatience.
It could be waiting for a response from a friend or colleague,
Dealing with a challenging
task,
Or facing a difficult conversation.
Bring to mind the situation,
Something that you know you've been here before.
Something that is a pattern of impatience in your life.
And visualize this situation in the mind.
As you hold this image in the mind,
Notice any physical sensations or emotions or thoughts
that arise within you.
Perhaps you feel a restlessness in your body or an urge to move.
Or a sense of urgency in your mind.
Observe any sensations,
Emotions,
Thoughts as best you can without judgment,
Allowing
them to be present just as they are.
You don't need to change or fix anything.
Shift the focus now back to the breath.
With each inhale,
Imagine breathing in patience and calmness.
Allow these qualities to fill the body and mind,
Soothing any restlessness,
Impatience,
Urgency,
Anxiety that may be here.
Observe any thoughts or judgments that arise as you invite in patience.
Notice any resistance or impatience to your current experience.
And instead of getting caught up in these thoughts,
Gently bring your attention back
to the breath,
Grounding yourself in the present moment.
If the mind wanders back into thoughts and judgments,
Invite it back.
In go of attention on the breath,
Shift the focus now to sensations in the body.
Notice any areas of tension,
Any areas of discomfort.
And with each breath,
Allow a sense of patience to wash over these sensations,
Inviting relaxation
and ease without forcing anything.
Giving yourself a few moments to simply observe.
Notice where your attention is.
Gently bring it back to the present moment.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of the chest with each breath,
Anchoring yourself in the
here and now.
And as we close our practice,
Acknowledge yourself for taking time to practice patience
and giving yourself space for acceptance,
Wisdom,
And peace.
