The Power of Patience
Stay calm and carry on
By Karen Frye
The last month of the year can be a whirlwind of events and gatherings. For many, it can increase stress levels and seriously undermine the season. One way to navigate the holidays with fewer difficulties lies in the virtue of patience. While patience may sometimes be more of a goal than a reality, it is absolutely worth the effort to adopt this behavior and practice it when the occasion presents itself. How we handle challenges can make all the difference in the outcome.
Impatience is an everyday part of life. I can get very impatient with traffic backups or waiting too long in a line — convinced for strange karmic reasons that I’ve picked the “slow” one. There is a simple technique in these situations that can change the perspective and make the experience not quite so bad. I’ll take a few deep inhales through my nose and slowly exhale through my nose. Using this deep breathing technique can slow the heart rate and relax the mind in a relatively short time.
One of the most challenging situations to test your patience is confrontation. It can come at you from nowhere. You can be having the best of days, and suddenly you find yourself engaged in an unpleasant conversation. It could be a personal attack about something you’ve done, a rant about an accident, or just a simple misunderstanding. As one person berates the other, things can get totally out of control and wind up in an adrenaline-pumping shouting match.
There’s a very simple solution. Before you even respond, stop and be silent. Take the time to be patient before you say anything to escalate a situation. Just listen. Within those moments of quiet you can take stock of the circumstances and handle your response in a peaceful, kind and gentle way. It can change the outcome.
The will to calmly wait gives us the opportunity to become more compassionate people. This is the season of love and joy. Practice patience and you will find many benefits: definitely more happiness and less stress. PS
Karen Frye is the owner and founder of Nature’s Own and teaches yoga at the Bikram Yoga Studio.
