At our ashrams in the U.S. and India we choose a single word to inspire us throughout the year. For 2026, the word is:
forbearance
Forbearance is the ability to withstand – the capacity to remain grounded through pain or pleasure, gain or loss, sorrow or happiness. While this may seem impossible, we are all capable of practicing forbearance to some extent in our lives.
The Earth, who holds everything in creation, is the embodiment of forbearance. Whether a person is virtuous or a sinner, without judging, Mother Earth bears us all.
To hold anything, you have to be still, steady, standing in one place. The practices of connecting with your Self, meditation, self care, and all that I’ve been sharing in this column over the years, are all about developing that capacity. Forbearance requires coming back to our Self instead of surrendering to our habit of constantly flowing out in a reactive mode.
Try to catch yourself as you start to react to something – a person, a comment, a news story, whatever. Bring your attention to the navel, let the breath rise and fill your heart space. Don’t react right away. I’m not suggesting that you completely ignore what is happening, but in any situation, it is possible to take a little space so you can act from a place of groundedness. This is a very simple, yet powerful practice. If you do this several times throughout the day, with full presence, you will see the difference it can make in your relationships with others and in your life.
When we practice forbearance, we can have a great impact on the environment around us, but we have to learn how to hold ourselves first.
It is important that we all pay attention and take some responsibility for the vibrations that we are putting out into the world. Are we in a state of fear, anger, greed or lust? If so, those vibrations are permeating the space around us. At the same time, vibrations of peace, contentment and appreciation will also have a great impact.
Darkness is vast. But when you strike a match, the darkness is removed in that instant. Such is the power of our thoughts, such is the power of our prayers, while grounded in our hearts. We are all a part of promoting harmony in the world through our thoughts and prayers for peace and tolerance.
Through forbearance, we become a stable home in which the Divine can reside and express itself in the form of our good thoughts and actions. Make yourself that temple of the Divine. Acknowledge that you are a Divine being, you are capable and worthy of hosting divinity within you. Spread the light. When we truly hold that prayer in our heart, it does make a difference.
