Being Patient: Easier Said Than Done!
Okay, so maybe a life of balance has always been a challenge for me. Really, isn’t it for most of us?
I love being in motion: Bikram yoga, snowshoeing, biking, and kayaking. What doesn’t come as easily to me is meditation or, for that matter, the more meditative forms of yoga. I had heard Yin yoga was the perfect complement to the more dynamic forms of yoga that I enjoy. It concentrates on the deep connective tissue at the hips, pelvis, and lower spine.
I enthusiastically convinced a friend to take a workshop with me at Prana Power Yoga in Cambridge, MA. I told him it would be easy, uplifting, and relaxing. For the most part, I was right. Except for one small detail . . . you hold the poses for 3 to 5 minutes at a time. This can be uncomfortable and requires a patience that often eludes me. If my animals could talk, they’d probably be sharing a few choice expletives that have come out of my mouth when my computer is slow or not working! (I’m a work in progress—what can I say?)
So halfway through class, while we were doing a sitting version of Eagle Pose (Garudasana) for what seemed like an eternity, I leaned over to my friend, who was gritting his teeth. I chuckled, and said, “‘Let’s do a Yin yoga workshop,’ she said. ‘It will be fun,’ she said.”
After class, though, I did feel extremely calm and centered. We walked out with one of our fellow workshop attendees and discovered that she was a yoga teacher who regularly taught at the center. She was very enthusiastic about Yin yoga. I asked her what the main benefit was. She looked at me and said, “Patience.”
A lack of patience and follow-through has been my Achilles’ heel since I can remember.
Wouldn’t you know it, the following morning, I took a Bikram class, and that was just about the best 90 minutes of hot yoga in my life. There was a flow and a joy to the practice. I was unaware of anything but being connected to every asana posture.
This experience with patience has inspired me to do a cleanse. Not just a typical juicing/raw foods sort of cleanse, but also supporting it with a cleanse for the mind through meditation and affirmations. I’ll explore this more in an upcoming post. In the meantime, it would be great to hear from anyone who has done anything similar!
About Heidi Boone
Heidi Boone is a sales professional on the outside and a tree hugger on the inside. She strives for well-being at every level and blogs about her experiences with yoga, eating a largely plant-based diet, and exploring the many ways to make the journey both joyous and life affirming.