What comes to mind when you think of patience? Is it a positive or negative association? As MOI teacher Anne Savery states, part of the practice is observing our conditioning, history, and relationships with different things in the dharma. According to Anne, patience holds a variety of meanings. It involves endurance, spaciousness, forgiveness, and equanimity. “In the space of patience,” she says, “one can find joy and gratitude.” But first, there needs to be stability and tranquility to access this space. We must know how to calm the body, mind, and breath. Hence, the importance of meditation and present moment awareness. It is only in the present moment that we can practice patience and experience true joy, and with the arising of joy naturally comes gratitude.

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