Day 8 for my house, or really day 4 of complete stay in place. It’s been a lot. A drastic reworking of day to day life. I’m being intentional. I am walking gingerly through my house and with all my people. Everyone is coping in their own ways. Me too. I am moment to moment.
One thing that is helping me is the idea of one. One day at a time. One breath at a time. The next one thing. Trying not to overwhelm myself with the uncertainty. Because, if I’m being honest that’s the thing that has me struggling the most. I just want to know when this will end. Give me a date, a time, and then I will be able to enjoy today. Or at least, that’s my favorite lie to tell myself. The truth is certainty is an illusion. An illusion that let’s us feel in control.
In yoga we try to find flow state. It’s this beautiful place where the body moves with the breath and the mind is still. With a lot of practice it gets easier to find this flow state on and sometimes even off the mat. But, when life is hard, or the day is hard, or even just the moment we resist. I find myself resisting this quarantine. Resisting this call to be still. Busyness is such an alluring drug. But, this is an opportunity for growth. A short period of time to evaluate, to accept the unavoidable, and to practice finding that flow state off the mat.
We cause so much of our own suffering. We write stories that never come to be. We make plans and then cancel them. We get attached to the wrong things and the wrong people. We search for answers when we have had them all along. Just for today I will try to cause less suffering. Just for this breath I will let my mind be still. Just for today I will be grateful for the uncertainty. Just for today.
So often we suffer alone. The World keeps spinning and we are just in our own World. But, in these times, we are not alone. The whole wide World is dealing with the same thing. We are not alone! It’s ok to not be ok, and the whole World is saying that together. So, take heart dear ones. This will pass and we can all talk about it together.
I teach a lot of breathing techniques to help with anxiety, because the truth is anxiety is a human condition. We all have anxiety about something. One of my favorite ones is so simple. You close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. You just notice for a few breaths. Then once you have settled a bit make your exhales longer than your inhales. Find a pattern that is comfortable and calming. Do this for a few minutes to calm your nervous system. I love this because it’s simple and because everyone can breathe. You always have your breath! Of course I love teaching yoga, but not everyone is able to practice yoga. But, everyone can practice meditation.
I hope you find some peace today. I hope you find some joy. I am sending you so much love and light today and throughout this quarantine. Hugs my loves.
Love and light,
Erin
Thank you for sharing ❤️ I for the most part am doing ok. Mainly because I have lived one day at a time for so many years. And there have been days where it was literally one minute at a time. I used to be an extrovert and have been an introvert now for many years. So isolation for me is not that difficult depending of course how long that isolation last. But I try not to think about how long it will last. The most unsettling thing to me is when I went to Kroger almost a week after I had been which was yesterday. TJ Maxx lights were out, most of the stores lights were out. Restaurants for still open for the most part but they got shut down other than take out yesterday. so I’m really driving when I have to go back again. Of course going into the store and seeing people with masks on and paranoia and fear in their eyes. So I just have to regroup, pray, and totally trust God to see us out through this and to bring good in our lives out of it.