Tumultuous times are with us. The tide of emotions and thoughts can be overwhelming. Maybe you are upset, angry, sad, scared, or discouraged. Possibly you are experiencing a mix of those, or a feeling that doesn’t even have a label. We are certainly experiencing a disturbance - in the energy field, in the streets, in our thinking and emotions, and ultimately in our bodies. I feel a heaviness in my body, and a numbness that slows everything down.
My self-care practices are helpful while I am engaged in doing them. I’m not really noticing a residual or underlying difference right now, although I am sure I would feel worse without them (if you need some tips, check out my Corona Care Kit). I want to be open to what is going on without the psychic numbness.
What to do? In the immediate now, I am compelled to sit in any dedicated spiritual space, whatever the religion. I longed for churches, the temple, and the zendo during the pandemic. When I’m in a space like that it holds me in silence long enough so I can actually start feeling – and allow the feeling, the tears, and the intensity to come forward. As we move through a time of incredible change, so much has been lost. We need take a moment to mourn the easy way we used to be with each other, our pre-Corona lives, the uncertain future. We are called to confront the ongoing injustice, the pain of division in our country, and - if we are white - to understand the privilege of feeling safe. For now, here’s a prescription to try.
STOP
Stop and feel, however you can get there. In America we’re generally uncomfortable with “feelings” because they are messy (see my blog “The American Chakra” for more). Change is always chaotic and destabilizing, and rapid change even more so. We want change but going through the process is unsettling and - emotional. So many factors are in play now that electrify the rage that is happening. It’s truly a dark night of the American soul.
DROP
Next, drop down and let it all go. Drop into something greater than you that can absorb all of the suffering: the earth can do that. Lay down - on the ground, on the floor, even in your bed – and sink into the support (it’s all eventually earth if you keep sinking down!). Feel your weight, be heavy, and give it up. Feel the support rising to meet and hold you. This release is best if you’ve taken time to steep in your feelings first.
ROLL
Hopefully not with the punches, but with the flow of events, with the times. Make the world a better place in whatever way you can, small or large, in thought and action. To do any less is to live in despair. If we see clearly and act, eventually we will come out the other side with new structures, new realities and a re-imagined world.
Bear
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