No matter how long we have known a person or how much time we’ve spent with them, there are some things we can never know or understand.

So, with that in mind, think about the last time a car cut us off, or someone honked at us when we were putting our groceries into the trunk, because they really wanted that spot. Or someone snapped at us in the line at Starbucks.

It’s instinctual to tense up and get defensive.

Maybe we flip the person off, but what does that really do?

I know, when I walk away from an angry exchange, I feel sticky and unhappy.

That person could have been rushing to the hospital or maybe they just got into a fight with their mom or spouse. Maybe they’re having a difficult time at work and are desperately looking to find some sense of control in another area of their life.

Keep this in mind when leaving the house, when we step off the yoga mat. Find a sense of calm and act through compassion, understanding that people keep so much to themselves and can be deeply suffering and using aggression as a defense mechanism.

To help us be more understanding, here is a yoga routine to open our heart:

Yoga poses to open our heart:

Warrior 1: Rooting the foot so our toes are a little above the heel, inhale the arms all the way up over the head, keeping  hips and shoulders squared.

Warrior 1 Variation: In Warrior 1, relax the arms and lace fingers behind our back. On our inhale, lean back slightly and open up the chest. Then, on the exhale lean forward as to be folding inside the thighs. Repeat this action, moving with the breath.

Reverse Warrior: Shifting through Warrior 2, on the exhale tilt on back, running the fingers down our back leg while we lift the other arm up to the sky while really opening the chest.

Supported Warrior 3: Touching our fingers down on the floor, extend the heel behind. Look up, allowing the spine to lengthen and the chest to open.

Birds of Paradise: Start by standing with the feet together, folding over our legs. Wrap the right arm between the legs while wrapping the left arm around our back and grasp onto the fingers. Very slowly, with great control and beautiful balance, stabilize the left leg as we stand, bringing the right leg up with in it’s bind. Stand like this or point the toes and extend the leg, straightening the knee.

Twisted Chair Pose: Deeply bend the knees and bring palms together at the chest. Twist open the belly, start by twisting to the right and hook the left elbow onto the right knee.

Be patient with people.

Be willing to forgive.

Surrender our need to win an argument and ask ourselves, “Will winning this argument and therefore hurting someone else’s feelings be worth it in 5 years?”

Then, take a deep breath and smile.

We could really be turning someone’s life around by not fighting back and making them think about their own desires to start an argument.

Work in the light. We are love.

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Author: Stacy Porter

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: courtesy of the author