MINDFUL MOVEMENT

Developing a Patience Attention

A mindful movement for patience

INTENTIONAL PAUSE

Patience shifts attention away from stress and frustration.  It is the ability to not be troubled by life’s changes, delays, or other undesirables.  It is the ability to maintain stillness in the midst of disappointment or chaos. By cultivating a practice of patience, you’re able to let go of things outside your control and live with less stress, anxiety, and frustration. It is a way of telling life that you are in charge – mind and body.

INTENTION:

Patience means to allow myself grace.

  1. STANDING – WARRIOR I and WARRIOR II

            Warrior I

  • Begin in standing Mountain Pose
  • Take a big step back with your left foot.
  • Keep your hips facing forward.
  • Bend your right knee so that your thigh is parallel to the ground making sure your knee is directly above or just behind your ankle.
  • Back leg stays straight.
  • Raise your arms up overhead.
  • Hold the pose and breathe in and out slow and low.
  • Step your back leg forward to return to Mountain Pose.
  • Switch legs.

WARRIOR II

  • Begin in Warrior I.
  • Keep your front leg bent at a 90 degree angle, knee directly above the ankle.
  • Back leg is straight.
  • Extend your arms up.
  • Open your hips to the side while stretching your arms straight out so they are parallel with your legs.
  • Turn your head to out over your front fingertips.
  • Hold the pose and breath slow and low as you inhale and exhale.
  • Release your arms down and step your back leg forward to return to Mountain Pose.
  • Switch sides by beginning in Warrior one with the opposite foot back.

AFFIRMATION

I patiently attune my will to the Source of all power. Or   A patient warrior is a wise warrior.

MODIFICATIONS

  • Keep your legs wide as it feels comfortable for your body.
  • Use a wall for balance
  • Place hands at your waist for stability instead of raising them.
  • Listen to your body and only extend to your comfort level.

BENEFITS

  • Increases stamina and vitality
  • Strengthens shoulders, arms, thighs, ankles and calves
  • Stretches groin, belly, chest, and shoulders 
  1. SEATED – BOAT POSE 
  • Begin in seated mountain pose.
  • Grasp the outsides of your seat.
  • Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the floor, knees bent.
  • Extend your arms straight out in front of you and balance on your buttocks. Use your core muscles to stay lifted with a straight spine.  Try to straighten your legs a bit now.
  • Inhale and exhale slow and low, patiently steadying in this pose.  Try to embrace this challenging pose with patience and self-compassion.

AFFIRMATION – With every breath, I grow in patience.

MODIFICATIONS

  • Practice with one foot on the floor for support.
  • Keep the knees partially bent.
  • Hold under the thighs with legs extended.

BENEFITS

  • Strengthens the core
  • Improves balance and digestion
  • Develops patience and mental concentration 
  1. MAT/FLOOR – SEATED FORWARD BEND 
  • Sit up tall with your legs together and extended in front of you.
  • Firm your thighs into the floor, activating your legs.
  • Flex your feet, drawing your toes back toward you as you press your heels forwards.
  • Find a neutral pelvis, as your tailbone roots down to the floor.
  • Arms are by your side, with your hands pressed into the floor.
  • Engage you core, lifting upward from the base of your tailbone to the crown of your head.
  • Gently and slowly inhale and exhale as you hold this posture

Don’t worry about how far you can stretch at first. Concentrate instead on your breathing and releasing into the posture smoothly without forcing or straining your body.

MODIFICATIONS

  • You may support the forward bend by placing a folded blanket between your torso and legs or practice in a chair, bending forward and dropping your hands to the floor as you do so.
  • Use a yoga strap to attach to the bottoms of your feet and hold it together in your hands.
  • If your back feels tight, bend your knees slightly and link your arms beneath them.

BENEFITS

  • Awakens the spine and central nervous system
  • Invigorates the brain
  • Stretches the hamstrings
  • Stimulates the digestive system

AFFIRMATION

It will all work out. 

REFLECTION FOR LESSON 3

By practicing patience with ourselves, we see that mindful movement is simply about breathing through each pose and noticing how our bodies, minds, and states of being connect and flow.  Without the veil of judgement, we create clarity to cultivate patience and self-compassion toward ourselves.

  • How do you feel when someone is patient with you? How does it feel when someone is impatient with you?
  • What did you notice while in this pose? Take some time to write about any sensations or feelings that came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically during this pose?

QUOTE – Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

“Good things come to those who wait.” – Violet Fane

Patricia Wright, MAT, RYT, CRYT