The other day I heard this story about a woman in the supermarket with a small baby in her arms, holding hands with another child who must have been about 5 years old.

The woman was trying to do her shopping, but the older child kept letting go of her hand to run around the supermarket, grabbing products he found and throwing everything on the floor. The mother, visibly irritated, nervous, and even embarrassed, ran after him while asking him to stop. But the more she ran and spoke angrily, the more the child continued.

After a few moments, with the baby already crying, she managed to grab the older child, put him in the shopping cart, and with a very red face, rapid breathing, and eyes expressing anger, told her son never to do that again. In a few moments, both children were crying, and the woman was even more desperate!

At that moment, an older lady approached and began to speak to the mother in a very calm, serene, kind, and attentive tone of voice. The mother was so embarrassed, she thought she would hear criticism or judgment, but she was surprised.

The lady spoke to her slowly, looking her in the eyes, and asked the boys’ ages. The mother answered. And the lady kindly said that at that age it was normal for the older child to want to run around and be curious about all those packages of different shapes and colors. The mother, downcast, replied yes, but that sometimes it was very tiring.

The lady eventually left, but still saw the mother gently stroking the baby’s head, who was no longer crying, and walking hand-in-hand with the older child.

Meditation and the practice of Yoga aim to be the calm, serene, and caring voice of the older lady. This compassionate voice that does not judge or criticize but supports, offers perspective, space, relaxation, and grounding. The voice that helps us break free from the control of our emotions and the old automatic reactions that prevent us from being our best selves.

We live in a fast-paced, intense, exhausting world, carrying so much pressure and tension that we overload our bodies and minds. We are constantly anxious, worried, stressed, dominated by anger, rage, and fear, constantly on autopilot and deeply disconnected from ourselves, from others, and from our surroundings.

Meditation and the practice of Yoga are an invitation to stop, to connect with our inner selves, to switch off the button of speed, extreme fatigue, reactivity, and fear. And to learn to cultivate time with intention.

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