Thank you, Corona Virus

Sunday, March 15, 2020

A yogi’s thoughts on coronavirus 

Hey guys! Wow. So much has shifted in the past 24 hours! I'm basically shoved into the backseat of my ex-hubby’s (who is also a dear friend) van driving home from Nashville with my son and all his freshman year stuff. I’m overwhelmed by happiness to be in this moment; and strangely so grateful to this virus that’s been collectively dominating our lives, thoughts, fears and news feeds. 

Let me explain. 

Of course, I’m disappointed that my son’s first year college experience has been abruptly, unceremoniously and inconveniently cut short. Seeing him grow and thrive and forge his own path is indescribable as a parent. He’s doing it so well! Gosh. Light years away from my college experience. (That’s another blog. 😳) Selfishly, I am celebrating some bonus time having my son home! 

But as a yogi, I strive each day to surrender my human and flawed thoughts on how life should be, and I open my heart to what life is offering. And here’s the real kicker: to accept it. Whatever it is. Accept it as an opportunity to learn and grow and surrender to a higher power and intelligence. 

And that is our first ostensible gift from Professor Corona. Omg. He has forced Americans to slow the fuck down!!!!! This virus has singlehandedly and exponentially illustrated one of my main teachings as a yoga instructor. Slow. The. Fuck. Down. I say this with so much love and respect and close with a namaste so obviously it’s ok. 

And now that the universe has our attention, we look around and remember what’s truly important. People. Not things. People. Back to the basics!

And we rest! And reset. And we finally have the opportunity to look within. To pause and reflect on where we are in life. And to course correct if we’ve veered from what is soul feeding and intrinsic versus ego feeding and extrinsic. And perhaps with an overwhelming awareness of all of the abundance that we already have circulating in our lives. 

Another rona reminder: let’s get back into the habit of hygiene! Lol. Yes like washing our hands! And for me, showering more often. Hippy, grungy yogis must practice saucha - purity of body, mind and speech. Yes, I am definitely a work in progress. For those that don't know me well, I don't generally shower every day. Or every other day. lol

You know who else is doing a happy dance right now?

Mother Nature. She is so ecstatic right now. She’s happy that we are dramatically reducing travel and giving our precious planet an opportunity to breathe! Trees, mountains, rivers and oceans, and all living beings are benefiting from this reset. Less pollution and so much more precious time. The true currency of life. 

This reset of our economy has highlighted the working poor in America.  We - yes, your beloved yoga teachers - are part of the working poor in America along with so many others who work an hourly wage, the majority of who are not extended access to healthcare and other basic employment benefits. In a true collapse of this economy, we will be the first fatality. But I’ve read that most Americans are so highly leveraged, regardless of income, that many of us are a few lost paychecks away from homelessness. 

We mistakenly “buy into” affiliation with the one percenters in America, purchasing luxury goods to separate from the working poor, many using credit to do so. (I speak from experience!)  Unfortunately we don’t comprehend  the vast difference between a million and a billion. 

One million seconds = 11.5 days 

One billion seconds = 31.5 years 

Hopefully this reset will help us pare down wants vs needs and focus on the intangibles of life: experiences vs consumerism. And stop making the billionaires more billions and actually increasing the dramatic gaps. It also shows us this false sense of security we derive from possessions and property rather trusting in the abundance from this planet. Every morsel of food, droplet of water and every item you own came directly from the Earth. As a gift. Not an entitlement. 

This powerful yet invisible (to the naked eye virus) reminds us of the inevitability of change. We are experiencing a powerful shift. I always believe change forces us to re-examine our thoughts and beliefs. I also believe this is yet another wake up call from Mother Earth that a collective, vibrational shift is happening. Rather than resist, let's flow with it.

This situation is uniting humanity like nothing else in history ever has. This situation is not unique to any part of the globe; to any race; economic or social class; religion; gender; political affiliation. It is a great equalizer reminding us that we are all connected. Factories closing in China affect the entire global supply chain and we will  soon feel the ripples of it. But I've also heard accounts that there are certain areas in China where people are actually seeing the blue sky for the first time because the heavy layer of smog and pollution has been halted!

Rather than shaking fists in the sky at our bad luck or feeling personal targeted by this situation, would you consider the perspective that the earth is auto correcting itself? That Mother nature is hitting a hard reset to course correct our trajectory toward overconsumption and exploitation. To remember we are all enough without all of the stuff. And that we are all deeply connected as we share this planet together. One love. 

Just one yogis thoughts.