OM IN THE CITY I love Christmas in the city. I love walking past the tree and seeing the store windows and I love the smell of the chestnuts on the street. I’ve been spending the holiday season continuing to work on my forgiveness issues when I realized that I really need to forgive tourists. For years I told myself, be nice to those in white sneakers with fanny packs, prove to them that the city is full of wonderful, caring, helpful people, but the truth is I find it incredible trying to get behind them on the sidewalk as they stroll hand in hand, five across, not realizing that I have places to be! As part of my forgiveness training I can send love and I do, I send love and I forgive them for teaching me a lesson on patience and I love them for bringing money into the city, but this week I’ve taken it a step further as I realized that my being impatient with them not knowing how we do things ’round here is really just another lesson in humilty and yes, as always, forgiveness. Here’s a short meditation for the tourists. Write and tell me how you do!

This meditation should be practiced on the street, in the moment.

While walking behind a group of tourists, relax your mind and your body, without changing the pace of your walking begin to notice your breath in and out, with each stride notice the inhalation and exhalation of your breath, after about 10 breaths, you should be stopped behind the tourists on a corner. With your minds eye imagine yourself sending them the warmth and love as you say to yourself, thank you for being here to teach me patience, I am grateful and honored that you’ve chosen to spend your day here to teach me this lesson. Then bring your attention back to your breath. Keep your inhalations and exhalations in time with your strides, by the time you get to the next block, you’ll feel a whole new energy inside.