When we get angry or get discouraged, it’s good to remember our long-term visions. When should we just let go? When should we tell someone their behavior needs to stop? In the time on our yoga mat, we can reflect on our relationships with spouses, parents, children, and friends. In the calm of meditation, we can steady ourselves in a way that will serve us when we’re feeling more volatile. This is good for communication but also for other habits.
There’s several approaches to what we’re calling taking the long view. Here’s a couple articles about similar approaches:
Psychology Today – Creating Value
The only sensible question relevant to negative emotions is, “How can I be true to my deepest values at this moment?”
O Magazine – Peter Walsh’s Surprising Way to Clean up Clutter
Maybe your partner says something you don’t like and your immediate reaction is to attack. But if you insert a question—”Will my response help create the relationship I want or damage it?”—that’s a transformational moment. You have to remove the clutter of competing egos and miscommunication, the clutter of assuming your partner might want to hurt you deliberately.
GROUNDING YOGA 