Every day as I sit down to write, I try to think of all the good things. I try to think of what the potential upside of this quarantine is; I try to think about what I’m learning about myself and other people through this experience. I try to think about what the universe may be telling me, or telling US. Everything about our world changed in a few short weeks. Every day we wake up wondering what is new and what the scientists and experts are saying….and we wonder if the leader of our country will listen to them. (this is a new and unsettling experience in and of itself). So many unsettling and “out of control” type experiences. I saw a painting in a coffee shop about twenty years ago; I still think about it because I really loved it (I couldn’t afford it at the time); it was beautiful and colorful and it was entitled “control is an illusion”. This has stayed wedged in my brain all of these years because it’s so very true and it’s something I struggle with every day. There is very little we can truly control, yet we spend a great deal of time and energy attempting to control things. The reality - the only thing we can control (and this I’ve learned from hours and hours of meditation) is our mind. We do have the ability to shift from a place of worry and fear and anxiety to a place of calm and centered and peaceful. But we have to STOP, SIT, and BREATHE to do it. I’m not anxious about a lot of things, but I have struggled with a fear of flying for many, many years. Meditation has helped me tremendously to cope with this fear; I won’t say overcome it, as it still circles beneath the surface, but I can DEAL with it now. I have to make myself STOP, SIT and BREATHE and focus solely on my breath to manage it. It no longer manages me, which is a wonderful thing.
It goes back to that universe thing for me - we have suddenly been forced to stop, sit and breathe. We’ve been forced to stop DOING and start BEING. In this BEING, we can find peace and comfort. In this being we get back to focusing on what is good and what is ok right now in this minute. If you can focus on the in breath and the out breath and nothing else for just a few minutes each day, you will just feel better. If you are feeling anxious during all of this change and upheaval, try it! It’s not rocket science, but it does take a little time commitment. Sit in a room alone in a comfortable posture, and focus on breathing in and breathing out. Your mind will wander; it’s ok! When you catch it wandering, bring it gently back to the breath. Don’t beat yourself up for being distracted; it’s part of the process. Over time, your mind wanders less and less and less. You find yourself feeling anxious less and less and less. You know that at any time you can just go back to your breath. You will find over time that you handle things better in general, you don’t get all out of whack when something external throws you off kilter. Back to the breath. You can manage your monkey mind. Be gentle with yourself and others in these times; we are all experiencing COVID-19 in different ways. Try to stay focused on how you can manage your own anxiety. You can also focus on just one word as you breathe in and breathe out….love, comfort, peace, joy….whatever word you need today. This is one small thing you CAN control. Sending love to everyone today - don’t forget to breathe.