Kindness is the Yoga Lady® theme for March. Jacqueline Valdez, Intuitive Counselor and my spiritual mentor, has offered respect as the “word of the month” for her group, Saints in Training. And perseverance is the word from Attunement Transformation, the energetic healing circle I more recently joined. This year I’ve chosen to weave these themes and words together each month as a kind of “holy trinity” to keep myself focused within and to practice them when I’m out and about.
Kindness and respect go hand in hand. When we show kindness through words and actions, it is a way of showing respect for another. If I feel respect for an entity, I’m going to honor that institution, office, or whatever it might be. To me, the practice of kindness and the cultivation of respect serves as a basis for the value of all sentient beings and appreciation for what others have created.
As with any practice, this is not always easy. This is where perseverance comes in. That one must persevere through hard times and monumental challenges is obvious. Especially because this requires a physicality and a mental toughness. To persevere in the practice of kindness and respect is more subtle yet demands a continual discipline of awareness – a mindfulness of our thoughts and actions and how potent they are, despite the gentle and quiet way they are delivered.
PRAYER
Oh Infinite Holy Spirit, Mother-Father God: May I treat myself and others with kindness, while I show respect with the very same thoughts and actions. May I let go of my tendencies to judge and criticize, to get angry. May I catch myself before I say an unkind word or act disrespectfully. May I persevere in the practice of virtue for the good of all.
With God’s blessings, for this I pray. And so it is. Aho!
