What can we do in the time of the virus?

In the time of uncertainty, fear, multiple sources of information and misinformation, isolation, losses – of familiarity and routine, of freedom of movement, of possible health – we have all become somewhat jaded and anxious or irritated, agitated and frustrated. 

What can we do to balance ourselves to a state of groundedness and sanity?

The good news is that there are.  What we have now, that we did not or did not make before, is time.  Time is our ally as well as the familiarity of our homes and places in nature, where we can still roam, as long as we keep our distance.

I find it crucial to take care of my mind first as the fear and anxiety tightens up my body.  This is what I do:

I start my day with some deep breathing.  Breath is known to open the lungs, especially in the back body (behind the shoulder blades  and back ribs), bringing in a bigger amount of fresh oxygen and eliminating toxins, both physical and emotional, and making the lungs’ ecosystem less attractive to the virus.  It also works wonders for the anxious mind.

How to breathe deeply and into the back body?

Here are a few ways:

·      Sit comfortably and bring your hands around your side ribs, hugging them closely.  As you inhale, feel the ribs expand; as you exhale, let them stay soft and open.  The hands will go laterally as you inhale and not change (go inside) as you exhale.

·      Lie on a relatively soft surface (mat or blanket on the floor, harder mattress) on your side.  Again, lay the hand on the lifted side on your rib cage.  Inhale and exhale into your hand.  Repeat on the other side. 

·      Lie on your belly with your hands tucked under your forehead.  Bring your attention on to your back body.  As you inhale, feel the shoulder blades and back rib cage expand; as you exhale, feel the shoulder blades and rib cage sink into the floor.

The next thing I do is stretch, using yoga postures.  It is hard to explain yoga in written words, so I would like to refer you to a few resources that I find helpful.

Here they are:

·      Esther Ekhart – Somatics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJlrUPePLc.  These are a series of exercises that are done pre-yoga to calm the autonomic nervous system and elongate the muscles, energizing and calming at the same time.

·      https://www.doyogawithme.com/ (local website)

·      https://yogawithadriene.com/

·      https://www.gaia.com/

The next thing I do is stimulating pressure points across different meridians to boost my immune system.

I use a video of Dr.  Alan Mandell  at https://youtu.be/iF8b2rwBVhg.  He uses clear language and demonstrations to massage and or pressurize 6 points on our body that tonify,  prevent or reduce  respiratory symptoms.  He suggests we do this at least once a day and multiple times if we do have symptoms.

Meditation

This is very beneficial for calming the mind and keeping the focus on the present where we make good decisions and keep our perspective balanced.

There are myriad forms of meditation and you may have to search and experiment on your own. 

I  like:

·      Alternate nostril breath (find it on the link yogawithadriene or google your own).

·      Repeating Aum  as many times as I need – on A, I pay attention to my belly; on U, I pay attention to my heart; on M, I apply attention to my head.  A and U are done with an open mouth, M with a closed one.

·      Metta (loving kindness) meditation – find it at jackkornfield.com.  This meditation extends safety, health, joy and equanimity to a benefactor, a loved one, yourself, a neutral connection, a challenging-to-you human and all sentient beings.  As this virus has reached us globally, so we do extend what is needed to all around us.

·      Kalpanas – these are resolutions or affirmative statements that we say loudly or silently to counteract the scary, unsettled messages we hear and create inside us.  I say numerous times per day – “I am healthy, I am well, I am the embodiment of health; I am at ease, I am ease, I am the embodiment of ease” (as an antidote to dis-ease).  Make up your own as you take stock of your mental and emotional temperature. 

I hope you find some of these old time treasures as helpful as I do.  Many of them you can do even if you are not well and more so.

As always, it is my privilege to share this with you.  I am open and welcoming to your feedback, questions and comments.

Wishing you the best of health on all levels. 

With you and with blessings for you on these trying times,

Lydia