Embracing Day to Day Kindness: Opening Our Hearts On and Off the Mat- Homemade Chai June 7, 2026
- rockbriarfarm
- Jun 6
- 4 min read
I have been thinking about kindness lately. Not just random acts of kindness, those are wonderful, but inherent, from the core kindness. I have always believed that people are inherently kind. Whether it is watching the news or walking in the neighborhood, I have recently been struck by interactions with people that are not kind. I am especially focused on how things are said, not what is being said.
I was walking with a friend in our Charlestown neighborhood recently. We have several routes we take making our way toward the beach. Some of these routes cross private property, not overtly but technically trespassing. All year round we walk these routes, picking up random trash and generally keeping our eyes open both for wildlife and anything awry. Recently we walked across the back of a property and were verbally accosted by the homeowner. First, let me be clear, he had every right to ask us not to cut across the back of his property; his manner was just mean spirited, condescending and just plain nasty. No matter that we apologized and explained that we really try to be respectful neighbors, he continued in a truly disparaging and condescending way along with many “I and mine” statements. I was truly saddened to the core that a fellow Charlestown-ite (albeit a summer resident), someone that we might see in the mini super, local restaurants, or on the beach would behave with such vitriol over something so minor.
I thought about that encounter all day. About 20 feet of our private driveway leads up to a path through the woods to the street on the other side. The path is also our property. We welcome neighbors and strangers to walk or bike through as it is a lovely way to make your way through the neighborhood. Never in the 28 years that we have lived here have we considered blocking people out or not be kind in our interactions. If ever there were a reason that we did not want people to cross over, I would certainly approach them with kindness, politeness and a gentle request to not do so.
I have found in recent years that the tenor of our collective voices has gotten less kind, more edgy, more entitled. I suppose there is another discussion to be had here about we vs me and where the sense of community and helping our neighbors has gone, but this is more about kind human interactions. I suppose that when we turn on our television and see our leaders speaking rudely, unkindly and with demeaning tone, we understand that we are modeling what is deemed acceptable.
When we get frustrated or a situation presents itself that we are not pleased with, our initial reactions may be to snap out something angry or unkind. We may be having a bad day ourselves. Given where we are today, I believe the onus is on us to double down on kindness, we can be the models of how interactions should happen, modeling respect and kindness in all of our interaction.
I have found that even in situations that can be difficult and where I may be irritated, if I take a deep breath, think of that old adage “kill them with kindness”, it makes every interaction more productive and less stressful. Sort of fake it until you make it! If you encounter someone who is behaving meanly, and kindness falls on unreceptive ears, smile brightly and wish them a beautiful day. It may be disingenuous, but you can feel good about your attempts to model kindness (rather than model their behavior) in a world that is not always so. If we continue our efforts, we will make the world a kinder place, one interaction at a time. Remember, we cannot control what others do, only how we react.
Kindness and Our Yoga Practice
Perhaps your practice intention this week is about kindness. Treat others how you wish they treated you and perhaps they will respond in kind. If not, you are still spreading good vibes. When we walk onto our mats, greet our fellow yogis with a smile or hello. We will practice heart opening this week, working to open our hearts off and on the mat!
As we practice kindness, we think about opening our heart. When our heart chakra is closed off, physical manifestations can be slouching, poor posture. As we practice heart openers, we open ourselves up to possibility and demonstrate that our heart is open to love and kindness. Physical benefits of heart opening poses can be increased energy and reduced fatigue as well as increased spinal flexibility, strengthened back muscles and improved posture. It can create space in the chest/lungs and can increase breathing capacity.
Meditation on Kindness – Native American Parable
I love this story and return it often when my thoughts and practice brings me around to thinking about kindness.
ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLY
CHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HIS
GRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THAT
GOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.
HE SAID, "MY SON, THE BATTLE IS
BETWEEN TWO 'WOLVES' INSIDE US ALL.
ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,
ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,
REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,
SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,
INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,
SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.
THE OTHER IS GOOD.
IT IS JOY, PEACE LOVE, HOPE SERENITY,
HUMILITY, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE,
EMPATHY, GENEROSITY,
TRUTH, COMPASSION AND FAITH.
"THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUT
IT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN ASKED
HIS GRANDFATHER:
"WHICH WOLF WINS?..."
THE OLD CHEROKEE SIMPLY REPLIED,
"THE ONE THAT YOU FEED"
Nurturing with Food – Iced Chai
For many, many years I did not drink coffee and was a tea drinker, while I do drink a bit of coffee now, I discovered real chai when visiting India. The chai most often served in this country is an over sweetened powdered version bearing no resemblance to what I learned to love in India. My recipe for a homemade concentrate keeps well in the refrigerator and can be served hot or iced. Keep it in a glass jar in your fridge and mix it half and half with your milk of choice, sweeten to your liking.
See you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne
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