Why is it so difficult for so many of us to just wait? If you have trouble waiting through a red light or waiting for an elevator, an extended wait might be quite uncomfortable.

It’s not like when we are waiting we have to do something hard, like hold some really heavy object, or push a wall with all our might, or do endless leg squats. It is simply waiting. Many people will think of anything to pass the time so it doesn’t feel like waiting. Perhaps it is a good time to check phone messages or e-mails, catch up on reading, eat or drink something, buy something, write something, do something, talk to somebody, pace the floor… do you see where I am going with this?

Sometimes we can simply wait. Meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “We have gone from human beings to human doings.” What is this incessant need to always do something? For many of us it is actually much more challenging to sit and do nothing than it is to do something, anything. Meditation master Osho once said, “Don’t just do something, sit there”. We can develop a lot of calmness if we practice consciously.

Sit in a chair and prepare to do nothing. Feel your feet on the floor. Become aware of your body. Become aware of your breath. Feel your breath coming in through your nose and moving out through your nose. Relax with each exhalation. Breathe. Your mind may begin to fly away in a million directions – through noticing a sound or someone moving nearby, or you might feel distracted by the long list of things you need to do. Again, become aware of your body, become aware of your breath. Just relax with each exhalation. A little of this practice several times a day can help us to develop the ability to let ourselves be. The key is to practice.

Pati Kearns teaches Yoga and meditation at Dance Etc. Call 279-9523 for more information.

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Contact Pati at patikearns@yahoo.com