Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend two weeks traveling in Kerala, India with one of my teachers and a group of other yogis and friends. During this amazing journey, we spent a few days at an ashram in Kollam. This specific ashram, Amritapuri, and is the home of Mata Amritanandamayi, otherwise known as Amma or the “hugging saint.”
Devotees all around the world wait on line for hours just to receive a momentary blessing in the form of a hug from Amma herself. She is recognized as a living saint and having the opportunity to spend time in her presence is something that I will not soon forget. During our time there we performed seva, or selfless service, we received darshan (her holy hug), and sat to meditate on stage with her while others received their darshan. But, one moment that will truly stay with me was during a sunset meditation on the beach with Amma herself. When answering a question from the audience, she said something that really resonated with me: “Infinite patience brings immediate results.”
It is so often in life that when we take on something new, such as a yoga, meditation, or mantra practice, we can get restless or annoyed if we do not see results instantaneously. If we see someone on the mat next to us in a “perfect” handstand or some other wildly complicated pose it is not uncommon for us to push ourselves, which can lead to physical and/or emotional pain. It is important for us to remember in these moments, that like asana or meditation, patience is a practice that we must commit to daily. The next time you find yourself getting impatient whether it is on the yoga mat or on line in the supermarket, notice it, bring awareness to it.
Once we become conscious of our actions, we can make the decision to change them. It is only that when we trust we are exactly where we need to be, that we will truly start to see immediate results.
Pictured: I Am Patient Mala
Mia Scelsi found yoga in 2006 and has not left her mat since. Mia’s daily practice helps her find peace in her hectic hometown of NYC. She currently calls Laughing Lotus Yoga Center her OMbase and completed her 200-hour YTT certification there in 2014. Mia is also the founder of Raga Varnish, a spiritually stimulating nail polish company with colors inspired by yoga, Ayurveda, and other spiritual practices. In addition to teaching yoga and running Raga Varnish, Mia works full time as the Director of Operations, Talent, and Culture at a boutique Market Research and Strategy firm in Tribeca. To learn more about Raga Varnish, visit www.ragavarnish.com.
