You are not alone
We are in times of fear and uncertainty. It’s okay that you are feeling the way you are. If you are working from home at least you have a schedule: a time to log into meetings, take calls, or make trades. For those of us that are out of work we need to be diligent and create a routine.
You might ask yourself, what do you enjoy doing that brings happiness to you and doesn’t bring sadness or harm to others? We can spend some time contemplating this… Write down a few things and keep the list nearby so you can add to it as things come to mind.
A healthy routine
For me, I wake up and breathe for three minutes with the app on my watch. I do this for two reasons: so I can start my day with a pause of mindfulness and second to see what my HRV is for the day. I then read and do the day’s exercise in the ACIM workbook. I check my blood pressure and log it in the health app before I offer incense and begin sitting quietly for thirty minutes. I grind my coffee and do a pour-over and read the day’s passage in a “Daily Dose of Sanity” by Alan Cohn. At the end of each day’s writing he poses a question and an affirmation to work with. I take the time to answer it honestly in my Bullet Journal.
Our goal is to enhance our lives and those around us and create a positive energy that will flow out into the world. Our responsibility is to take care of ourselves first, so that we can be grounded and act from a place of love and compassion. To give love we must be open to receiving love, and we must love ourselves.
If we do not have a routine or schedule to follow, we may become lost in thoughts of fear, or distracted by the news or social media. We may binge-watch shows or movies. Of course some times distractions are necessary to give us a break from stress we may be feeling. If however, we get caught up in a mindless escape, we are doing ourselves a great disservice. We need to care for our mental and physical state right now. We must do this for us and those we love and whom love us. It’s our responsibility.
What things can we engage in to bring us love and joy?
Those of you with an iPhone or iPad can FaceTime with loved ones so you can see their face and they yours. At first this can be somewhat challenging because we might not like the image of ourselves portrayed on the screen— we may find ourselves self-critical. Try to resist looking at yourself and look at the person you are speaking to. This can actually be a deep practice. See how long you can go with out looking at your image and becoming self-conscious. This will help us be more present with the person we are conversing with.
I have gone through periods of self-hatred and extreme self-criticism. I have been so self-critical that I have refused FaceTime calls in the past because I didn’t want to see my reflection. I have avoided posting selfies on social media and even not looked at photos of me until years later because I would only focus on the negative parts of me that I saw. I say this so you know that I understand the urge, but it’s not about me; it’s about us. We must remind ourselves this and push through so we can become a tad bit more intimate in these times of separation and isolation.
Working through issues
There are many different techniques one can use to work through issues. We need to be aware of whether we are moving towards a solution, or towards a form of escape. I think for some of us, our habit energy wants to escape, to run, to ignore, to project hate. This may arise from time to time, yet if we have the strength and determination to get to the other side, we will come back to the practice or technique that we have found that works for us. It may be the breath, a posture, a movement that re-centers us and allows us to see the issue for what it is and no longer feed it. We want to water the seeds that will bear the fruits of love, compassion and empathy for others and ourselves. I believe this is our responsibility, our duty, and our mission.
I have been using an affirmation from Louise Hay for over fifteen years now when I find myself in distress, fearful and self-judging. I place a hand on my “hara”— a point two or three fingers below the navel— and as a watch my breath I repeat, “I love and approve of myself,” and I feel my abdomen rise and fall. Usually within a few minutes I notice a release or letting go of the issue for the time being. This is a type of coming-back to self. It allows me to not become overwhelmed, to come back to my breath, to come back into my body and become grounded. Sometimes I might even fall into a sleep and process in a dream state. I may even use this affirmation as a mantra while doing dishes, taking out the trash, or cleaning my room. Actually, I find those times to be very helpful because the practice becomes like what Suzuki Roshi would call a ‘house cleaning of body and mind.’
Another technique I use is Ho’oponopono— the repetition of four phrases in no particular order. They are: “I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “please forgive me”, and “thank you”. This is a Hawaiian way of taking responsibility and cleansing. I find by repeating these I can begin to take more responsibility for my actions and let go of resentment, anger or hatred I may have for a situation or being.
Please join me in this global healing. Take the time we now have to discover the grounding practice that works best for you and repeat it as often as needed. The world needs us to emanate love and compassion.
I am here for you
Please feel free to reach out and we can work through some of this stuff together.
