Nin (忍)... Patience... can invite and encourage our vision to widen... to relax... to open rather than contract... physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Patience as a meditative practice, in my experience, has been a very useful thing because it leans into responsiveness rather than reactiveness.
When 'impatience-mind' grabs attention, and the mind-chatter narrative starts falling like a thunderstorm, watch out! Perception and perspective can be off by a lot. That aspect of mind... throwing lightning bolts of discontent - wishing things to be other than what they are... restless and irritated, craving for the experience to be over can dim the range of vision and feeling, as we contract. It incessantly seeks to reshape reality, engaging in an internal dialogue that can be exhausting, seeking to fix, manage, and control as a to gain soothing and relief. This state of mind not only interferes with our capacity for joy but also blinds us to the richness of the present moment, leaving us perpetually unsatisfied and disconnected.
A younger version of myself learned and cultivated patience through surfing... when the waves were slow-rolling and low... not the best amount of energy. I'd be sitting on my board... watching... carefully observing the movement... nothing to be forced... and just remain open and available... and even if I wasn't taking rides, just appreciating that I was there and breathing as I was bobbing up and down on the surface of the ocean, beneath endless sky. That experience and way of being was transferable throughout my entire life, influencing how I am with myself and others. Patience is a very necessary 'thing' if I want to be happy.
一We Are the Practice Itself
Comments