What do we live for;

if it is not to make life

less difficult for each other?

~ George Eliot

Stop, Count to Ten

When we enter into an intimate relationship, few of us escape visitations of insecurity and shame, of aversion and jealousy. Learning to bring an openhearted presence to these kinds of feelings, rather than reacting out of fear or hurt, is not easy. But when we are willing to stay put and pay attention at precisely the moments when we most want to lash out, cling tightly, or pull away, our relationship becomes a path of deep personal healing and spiritual transformation. As with any type of yoga, one of the blessings of the yoga of relationships is the profound inner freedom that comes from realizing the goodness and beauty of our essential Being.

Learning to pause is the first step toward transformation and healing. We pause by stopping what we're doing—we stop blaming, withdrawing, obsessing, distracting ourselves. In the space a pause creates, our natural awareness arises, allowing us to be mindful, to recognize what is happening inside us without judgment. By pausing, we begin to dismantle lifelong patterns of avoiding or distancing.

The Yoga of Relationships
http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/998_1.cfm

A More Perfect Union
http://www.yogajournal.com/views/1364_1.cfm

Spiritual Practices for Dealing with Difficult People

In his insightful book on this subject, Thank You for Being Such a Pain, Mark I. Rosen observes:

"The most powerful option for dealing with a difficult person is personal growth. Inner change inevitably leads to outer change." He suggests that you say a little prayer when you find yourself face-to-face with a difficult person: "Here comes another one. God, I ask you to guide me. You have sent this person to me for a reason. Help me to know what it is, and help me to cope successfully."

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/