My beloved teacher, Ajahn Pasanno, has a beautiful Loving Kindness meditation phrase that I use quiet often. It goes like this:

“May I have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet life’s inevitable challenges.”

I love this phrase and all the qualities he uses to prime the mind about life. To save the mind through the heart. Life, what a concept! An unreliable, changeable and uncertain experience for all, ever requiring patience.

Patience,

A soulful, heartful quality, many profess wishing to have more of. Ajahn Pasanno, quiet frequently, explains that patience is not toughing it out, anxiously waiting for something to be over or change to the way we’d like it to be. Patience is being with difficulties as they arise without going up against them. Knowing that things do change and having compassion for oneself and others while experiencing difficulties. And of course, life is never short of challenges, look at where we are today. In fact, patience is a constant requirement and necessity for life. We can think of patience as equanimity, which is keeping steady, being at ease with fear, lack and dislike.

While at Ease,

We stay alert re challenges at hand. Pay attention to what is necessary to successfully meet a possible threats. There is always something new to be aware of.

Here are some ways you can moderate discomfort around this globally challenging times:

  1. With the emergence of coronavirus and Social Distancing fear and loneliness may kick in. So, be kind to yourself and compassionate.
  2. When you are alone and feel frightened remember it’s OK to be afraid. Don’t make an enemy of fear. Let it pass. There’s no specific meaning to it. Only what meaning you give it.
  3. Instead of tapping into or adding your own frightening stories, pay attention to the heart, your heart. Befriend yourself even deeper.
  4. Listen to your loved ones more attentively.
  5. When communicating with others, try and use a calm voice, stating news or what you have heard with less dramatic and emotional voice.
  6. Listen to music, gather around fire, eat fruit, tell jokes, let yourself laugh and be light.
  7. If you feel anxious, take a few conscious breaths and repeat these loving kindness phrases three times for yourself and three times towards everyone else around the world:

May I have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet life’s inevitable challenges with ease and kindness.
May everyone around the world have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet life’s inevitable challenges with ease and kindness.
May I be safe and healthy, nourished and loved.
May everyone around the world be safe and healthy, nourished and loved.

Wishing you all safety and good health.
Manijeh

“I will not fight what I do not like. I will calmly change it. One breath in, one breath out I will be Perfectly Here.” Manijeh Motaghy