Creating Space…For Calm during Chaos
/I don’t know about you but with all of the ongoing developments around COVID-19, it certainly feels as though we are in a state of uncertainty that most of us have never experienced. Regardless of where you are on the scale from moderate concern to outright fear there are steps we can all take to cope.
Stay Informed
We live in an era where information travels faster than the speed of light. The issue is, not everything that we hear is true, and not everything that we read is validated. Gather details, but do so with discernment, focusing on credible news sources rather than hear-say. It’s easy to get caught up in the rumor mill when information is changing faster than you can blink an eye, but doing so only leads to confusion and panic. We are living in serious times, and we all want to stay up on the latest news and information so that we can keep ourselves and our families safe. Focusing our energy on gathering the most credible information is one of the best ways to manage the growing concern we will inevitably face.
Bubble
I wouldn’t be true to my yogi self if I didn’t take a moment to reground us all in the value of self-care, especially during difficult or stressful times. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience a style of meditation in which you create a protective bubble for yourself by imaging a white stream of positive light surrounding you. It sounds a bit hippie-dippie , right? Yeah, well I don’t care. It works, lol. I practiced a similar meditation with my own class in my Soul Flow yoga class last night, and you could feel the energy shift from frenzied to calm. Grounding down, and taking a few deep breaths in meditation will do wonders to take us from chaos to calm. And while it may seem wild to imagine yourself protected by a shield of light, learning to center rather than stress can help manage anxiety levels in order to cope with situations that are unfortunately out of our control.
Give Grace
People are scared, anxious, and unfortunately sometimes irrational. Returning that same heightened energy serves noone. Rather than scream at the lady that cut you off in the overcrowded grocery store parking lot, send positive thoughts her way and exhale a bit of peace. It may not change the behavior of others, but will certainly go a long way in helping you keep yourself centered. Empathy means “the ability to share and understand the feelings of others”. Well, we all know what it feels like to be scared and anxious, so how might we use this to give one another just a bit more grace?
I’m praying for your health and well-being, as well as your peace of mind.
Namaste,
Tian