Good Nat ured By K aren Fr ye

The Power of Patience

St ay calm an d car r y on

By K ar en Frye

The last month of the year can be a whirlw ind of events and gather ings. For many, it can increase stress levels and ser iously under mine the season. One way to nav igate the holidays w ith fewer dif ficulties lies in the v ir t ue of patience. W hile patience may sometimes be more of a goa l than a rea lit y, it is absolutely wor th the ef for t to adopt this behav ior and practice it when the occasion presents itself. How we handle cha llenges can make a ll the dif ference in the outcome.

Impatience is an ever yday par t of life. I can get ver y impatient w ith traf fic back ups or waiting too long in a line — conv inced for strange k ar mic reasons that I’ve picked the “slow” one. T here is a simple technique in these sit uations that can change the perspective and make the exper ience not quit e so bad. I’ll take a few deep inha les through my nose and slowly ex ha le through my nose. Using this deep breathing technique can slow the hear t rate and rela x the mind in a relatively shor t time.

One of the most cha lleng ing sit uations to test your patience is conf rontation. It can come at you f rom nowhere. You can be hav ing the best of days, and suddenly you find yourself engaged in an unpleasant conversation. It could be a persona l at tack about something you’ve done, a rant about an accident, or just a simple misunderstanding. A s one person berates the other, things can get tota lly out of control and w ind up in an adrena line-pumping shouting match.

T here’s a ver y simple solution. Before you even respond, stop and be silent. Take the time to be patient before you say any thing to esca late a sit uation. Just listen. Within those moments of quiet you can take stock of the circumstances and handle your response in a peacef ul, k ind and gentle way. It can change the outcome.

T he w ill to ca lmly wait g ives us the oppor t unit y to become more compassionate people. T his is the season of love and joy. Practice patience and you w ill 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.

BEACH HOLIDAYS

CELEBRATE WITH US From our Enchanted Airlie package, to a Holiday Cabaret celebration, and our exclusive New Year’s Eve Package there are plenty of ways to celebrate the holidays at the Blockade Runner. Visit our website to see what packages and events we have in store for this holiday season. blockade-runner.com

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