Patience, please
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
I recently heard someone say (or I read somewhere?) how we typically associate fall with death. But, in fact for trees anyway, autumn is the time when they don’t have to worry about putting out fruit or new leaves and can just concentrate on becoming strong.
I like that. A time to hunker down and fix what needs fixing. Not by doing, but by resting. By just being.
Historically, if someone were to say something needs fixing I would immediately think, “Do something! Now!” I am starting to learn that isn’t always the case. Fixing can come in the form of understanding… or, accepting,… or, waiting patiently.
Waiting isn’t really my strong suit. I like to have quick results… generally as a result of quick action. (I did say I am starting to learn, I haven’t yet mastered this idea.)
Often, clients with chronic conditions want quick results from their homeopathic remedies. They have been suffering for years and want to see changes. I am happy to say that it’s not uncommon to be able to help guide people to some remedies that can at the very least help alleviate some of their symptoms quite quickly. However, more than once I have advised my clients to take their homeopathic remedy and then get back to living life and let the remedies work quietly in the background.
Like the trees in the autumn; we can no longer see the fruits of the tree’s labors. We have to just trust that the tree is working hard within and, in time, we will then see the benefits of the tree’s “downtime”… the fresh spring buds or the delicious fruit it provides.
In homeopathy, we need to give it a figurative minute (or a week or a month or a few months) to do its thing and then re-assess. Are the headaches happening less frequently? Is the acid reflux less debilitating? Can you eat a little of that troublesome food now and again without spending the next day in the bathroom? Can you walk a little longer without the knee hurting?
For those of us who are still learning this thing called patience, the aptly named Bach Flower Essence Impatiens can come in handy.
Who may benefit from Bach Impatiens?
If you find yourself being quite brusque with people:
the cashier doesn’t get through your grocery pile fast enough
your little one thinks he knows how to put his shoes on better than you and it makes you crazy as many minutes keep ticking by.
Students:
who get frustrated with themselves for not grasping a subject quickly enough
those learning an instrument and find they are not ready for the stage as quickly as they thought they should be.
People who toss and turn at night when they are trying to fall to sleep.
Kids:
who continuously find it hard to wait for things: “When is dinner?” “When are we gonna…”
Kids who rush through their homework and make mistakes.
People who find nothing is going right: “Nobody is meeting their deadlines and it’s making me angry. I’ll do it myself.”
Drivers with “get-there-itis.”
Workaholics. People who can never take a vacation because they feel like they can’t allow themselves to do such a crazy thing as relax. “I’ll relax when I retire.”
For people who stutter or stammer, Impatiens can help you from getting impatient with yourself trying to speak as fast as you think you “should.”
“Should” is a good word here. I have a mug that says, “Don’t should on me.” The main person who shoulds on me is me… Putting pressure on myself to get things done faster. Bach Impatiens has helped me a lot in this area.
People who think their homeopathic remedy is not kicking in fast enough…
How to take the Bach Flowers? You can take a drop on the tongue directly from the bottle, or, even better, put 2-3 drops in a water bottle and sip on it throughout the day to help remind you to take a breath.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” — Unknown
Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath
#wellnessawaits