Here we are in the first weeks of spring . . . a time of transformation, rebirth, hope and optimism, of taking deep breaths in and exploring our world with fresh eyes.
And yet, that’s not what’s happening.
Instead, with the gravity of COVID-19 and the necessity for self-isolation and social distancing, we’re grappling with the effects of drawing inward. We’ve changed our daily paradigm to be quiet as the church mouse, hiding inside, obsessively managing our surroundings, cleaning and not touching our faces (let alone, not touching each other).
Take a big breath out. Now is the time we test the resilience we’ve built with our practices all these years!
There are many silver linings to our isolation. Many of you have shared your shift to finding positive, strengthening and optimism-building practices into your day, so here goes, paying it forward!
- Exercise every day (sub in ‘yoga every day’, ‘meditation every day’, ‘prayer every day’, ‘reading the Bible every day’, ‘pranayama every day’, etc)
- Cooking 3 meals a day, making bread, baking, trying new recipes, eating together
- Learning French, Spanish, German, etc.
- Learning to play the piano again (sub in guitar, violin, kazoo), and taking singing lessons
- Time with grandkids, parents, doing jigsaw puzzles, reading more
- Connection online, real time with family and friends all around the world, using apps like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Instagram, etc
- Playing online games with family and friends, all around the world (apps like Jackspot)
- Doing a poetry slam, or music jam
- Purging and re-organizing your home
I’m sure you could add 10 more silver linings!
Silver Lining # 1: Online Classes
For me, it’s been a challenging time with transitioning to closing the physical studio (my sanctuary), teaching online classes, learning the ins and outs of Zoom and sound/lighting/propping, which has kept me busy and focused. Good you would think?! Yes and no.
The first week the studio was closed, I was full on (as was Sinda Abbott) diving deep into the technology, best class mix, keeping connected with everyone, programming, and of course, learning to self isolate.
Toward the end of the week, I started having trouble sleeping. (This is NOT like me at all, I can lay down on a hard floor and be asleep in 3 minutes!) I couldn’t figure it out at first. And then I realized 2 things: I was so busy, I’d stopped my grounding practices of running, weight lifting, practicing yoga and meditation. Yes. I did. And the second thing was, I, like everyone else, was experiencing fear and anxiety. I thought COVID-19 wasn’t getting to me, but it clearly was.
How did I fix this? Oh so simple. A 30-minute practice on my mat, nothing fancy . . . breathing, mindful movement, thinking about where I was holding (upper back and hips), and patiently going there to release. I felt profoundly better, deep in my heart and mind. I’ve re-committed to daily practice, and I’m sleeping like a baby again! I’ve also decided to limit myself to one daily check-in on the news, managing the anxiety that creates.
Silver Lining #2: My Mom
Some of you know that my mom has been fighting lung cancer for about 8 years (never smoked). Because of that, she now tends to get pneumonia very easily, she just had a bad bout with 3 weeks in the hospital. She’s a fighter, resilient and positive, in spite of losing 10 pounds.
I had to put in 2 weeks of isolation before I could go to help her through her recovery. Luckily my aunt spent one week and my sister the other, and now I’m here, yay!
Because of COVID-19, and running my classes online, I can spend a whole week with her! I couldn’t have done that easily if we were all still at the studio. We’re enjoying small wonders and little victories each day as she regains her strength!
Your Silver Linings?!
I would love to hear how you are managing the transitions and the ‘new normal’, please share in comments below, or send me an email or text, or hey, let’s Zoom!
Namaste, and keep grounding yourself, my friends!
Sandy
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