{"id":17175,"date":"2011-11-03T08:04:27","date_gmt":"2011-11-03T12:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/?p=17175"},"modified":"2015-07-21T15:59:41","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T20:59:41","slug":"daily-exercises-to-be-more-patient-more-tolerant-more-joyous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/daily-exercises-to-be-more-patient-more-tolerant-more-joyous\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily exercises to be more patient, more tolerant, more joyous"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wish you were more patient, more tolerant, more joyous? \u00a0 Wish you could become peacefully serene just by wishing it so? \u00a0 With a little practice, you can consciously invoke any quality you wish to acquire. \u00a0 During daily meditation, take a few extra minutes for the following: \u00a0Imagine yourself in a peaceful, serene setting, being very relaxed. \u00a0Breathe in the relaxation and serenity and feel it all through your mind and body.<\/em> Then imagine yourself in a stressful situation, one which calls for you to act with patience, tolerance and understanding: \u00a0i.e., with a bad driver, an angry child, a frustrating boss. Imagine yourself acting appropriately and displaying the desired qualities.<\/em> Place yourself in another stressful situation, one that is likely to come up during the day; envision yourself acting appropriately and again displaying the desired qualities. \u00a0Take note of how you feel during the exercise. \u00a0As you continue this daily meditation, you are preconditioning yourself for appropriate action, so that when a stressful situation occurs, your response will be automatic. \u00a0This exercise can be used to invoke any quality you may wish to acquire. \u00a0Remember to give thanks for the opportunity to learn a new quality.<\/p>\n

I’ve got a dear sister on the other coast who’s going through some challenges the few past years. \u00a0We’ve known each other since high school, followed similar fast-paced career paths<\/a>, married similar men, have similar spiritual longings. \u00a0I began meditation at age 20 and she was never interested. \u00a0Throughout my life, I know meditation is my major stress reliever, a time and place twice a day to decompress. \u00a0 \u00a0Only the last few weeks has she been calling me asking for some techniques she can do every day in her real life situations and she told me last night her practice was paying off. \u00a0“Practice, ” she said, “so doing this exercise is part of the daily practice you always talk about? \u00a0I can do this, I’m more spiritual than I thought!” \u00a0I laughed with her.<\/p>\n

RELATED: \u00a0Andrea’s Meditation Process<\/a>
\nMeditation Twice a Day Keeps the Outside World at Bay<\/a>
\nPreparing For Relaxation; Preparing For Meditation; Daily Practice<\/a>
\nHerbert Benson\u2019s Relaxation Response is Transcendental Meditation minus the ritual<\/a>
\nPaving neural pathways to achieve meditation and access elusive inner states<\/a>
\nNeurotheology: How God Changes Your Brain
\n<\/a>Regulate your body chemistry: meditation as anti-aging medicine<\/a>
\nA list of meditation\u2019s positive effect on some of your body\u2019s chemicals
\n<\/a>How our thoughts contribute to the world<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n

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