Wisdom in Waves
  • Home
  • Classes
  • Meditations
  • Books
  • Poems
  • Musings
  • About
  • Contact
  • Love

Asking the Right Question

12/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

​During our first few days in Costa Rica, I experienced some gastrointestinal upset.  What followed was not patience and kindness, but irritation and blame.  Instead of appreciating the lush rainforest rich with biodiverse species of flora and fauna, my mind was fixated on problems.  My body wasn't behaving the way it should; my tween daughter was moody; I should be snapping out of this funk faster than I was.

Eventually, I could find some balance with a little help from mindfulness and self-compassion practices.  Though the forecast called for sunny skies on the latter half of our trip, a small gray cloud still threatened to unleash a torrent of judgements if I wasn't careful.  

Stop being so anxious!  Never mind that your sleep schedule was thrown off from day 1 of this trip and that your body is slightly dehydrated from diarrhea and this weather. 

Who cares that your gastrointestinal issues started in residency with call and sleep deprivation years ago.  So what if your digestive system is still sensitive when your sleep schedule is thrown off.  You should be over this by now!!!

On our flight home, I listened to an insightful dharma talk on patience.  It reminded me to ask the right question.  Instead of Am I behaving like a mindfulness master right now?, Is kindness here? might be more helpful.

Sylvia Boorstein writes, "Patience is more the moment to moment adjustment to unpleasant circumstances done in knowing they cannot be any other way.  This is wisdom."

In Costa Rica, I was making moment to moment adjustments to unpleasant circumstances.  I was soothing my body with food, hydration, Pepto-Bismol, and self-compassion.  I was renewing my vow each day to be kind in speech to my daughter, myself, and others.  My gratitude radar was on the lookout for beauty and kindness.

Maybe my mind wasn't entirely fixated on problems this whole trip.  Maybe I was asking, Is kindness here? more often than not.  Maybe my heart is as brave and beautiful as a Costa Rican sunset sinking in darkness to rise again.

May we all ask the right question.  When we forget, may patience guide us towards wisdom.
​
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Kaveri Patel, a woman who is always searching for the wisdom in waves.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    Anatta
    Body Wisdom
    Burnout
    Communication
    Compassion
    Creativity
    Diwali
    Doubt
    Elements
    Energy
    Equanimity
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Gratitude
    Guilt
    Habits
    Impermanence
    Joy
    Kindness
    Light
    Middle Way
    Mindfulness
    Motivational Interviewing
    Parenting
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Poetry
    Relationships
    Sacred Feminine
    Self Compassion
    Surrender
    True Nature
    Trust
    Uncertainty
    Wisdom

    Click to set custom HTML

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly