I Wonder

Hello Beautiful Souls- I know that many of you are feeling the same frustration and unrest that I have been feeling recently. It doesn’t take a spiritual guru or a highly intuitive person to pick up on the energy of the collective soul or feel the deep, impactful emotions of the collective energy that is buzzing all around us. Although our recent situation is unprecedented, we are able to relate at some level. Many of us have experienced something beyond our control or have had the preverbal rug pulled out from under us at some point in our lives. The degrees of our experiences may vary, but our experiences connect all of us at an emotional level.

We are being told that our health and safety is at risk and for many of us, we not only worry about our own emotional, physical and financial health and well-being but that of our family, friends and loved ones. The scales that balance our two emotional operating systems, fear and love, have been tipped towards fear for weeks. The ripple effect of this imbalance is impacting us on so many levels.

Quite often, I remind myself to be the observer. Becoming the observer in my life is a disciplined spiritual habit. A habit I learned in my meditation practice years ago. Becoming the observer provides a different perspective and releases the attachments to our emotional outcomes. But even though I possess the ability to observe my personal situation from a neutral perspective, I too, fall into the emotions of fear. Fear is part of all of us. It is part of our autonomic nervous system, specifically our sympathetic nervous system. Fear is instinctual and aids in our basic survival. When we experience fear, hormones are released to help save us from external threats. Our fight or flight response, as it is often referred to, directs the body’s rapid involuntary response to dangerous or stressful situations. A flood of hormones boosts the body’s alertness and heart rate, sending extra blood to the muscles. Breathing quickens, delivering fresh oxygen to the brain and an infusion of glucose is shot into the bloodstream for a quick energy boost. All of this happens before we have time to think about reacting. The sympathetic nervous system has been referred to as our internal gas pedal. Our body is well-equipped to save us from a real threat. We also experience perceived threats, our day to day stressors, that may be activated by thought alone. Our perceived threats, although quite real in our minds, use a great deal of our body’s energy as it responds. Our body doesn’t know the difference from a real threat in our external environment or a perceived threat that is activated by our thoughts. Using our body’s energy in response to these perceived threats, over time, depletes the energy needed to fight off illness and disease. In contrast to the sympathetic nervous system is the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system has been referred to as our internal brake pedal.  We need to engage the parasympathetic nervous system to rebuild the energy lost in response to danger, whether real or perceived. We can engage the parasympathetic nervous system using simple techniques and practices. You can engage in activities that bring you an overall feeling of peace and calm. The simplest and quickest technique is to slow your breathing. This practice can be done anywhere at any time and will result in restoring much needed energy to rebuild a healthy immune system. Simply breathe in deeply for a count of 8, hold your breath at the top of your head for a count of 4 and slowly with control exhale for a count of 10. Repeat several times until you begin to feel a physical change in your body. The changes that occur are a softening of facial muscles and an overall relaxation of all of your muscles. You will feel tension release from your neck and shoulders as well as in your back and abdomen and in your arms, legs and feet.

Although we are practicing safe distancing and obeying stay at home orders, many of us are considered essential workers and have not experienced a huge change in our day to day routines. If you are like me, you are continuing to go to work exposing yourself to people who may have come into contact with the virus. Along with all of the safety measures that we are practicing including washing our hands, sanitizing surfaces and wearing personal protective equipment, our best defense is a strong immune system.

Many of us have experienced change and loss over the last several weeks as the effects of COVID-19 spread.  Many have lost their jobs or have experienced a decline in their income. If you are a business owner, you may have experienced a sharp decline to your income or perhaps business has stopped all together. Some of you have loved ones in hospitals and some of you have suffered the loss of loved ones. We have all been impacted in some way from this pandemic. It is easy to remain in a depleted mind set when we experience these types of losses. We are experiencing different levels of loss and different levels of emotions and these emotions may change day to day.

I feel for you if you’ve lost anything or anyone during this time. I am sending condolences for anyone who has lost a loved one in the last few weeks and having to mourn your loss without the physical support of friends and family. I am sending prayers to the scared moms and dads-to –be who are welcoming a new life into the world without a supportive hug from the people who love and care for them. Our rituals and ceremonies have changed. We are having to cancel all types of celebrations. Weddings and showers are being postponed and rescheduled. Graduations are being celebrated as a subdued family event. Vacations, summer concerts and sporting events are being cancelled. A great change is taking place and although some of us have been effected more than others, we cannot ignore the fact that this has been a call for us to observe what is truly important in our lives. We are resilient and I am encouraged as I see people find clever ways to rearrange what a new normal looks like for them.

I hope that whatever your situation is, you are able to give yourself time to grieve a loss and time to feel what you need to feel. I hope that however your situation has changed, you are able to embrace a new direction. Perhaps your job loss has opened an opportunity for you to pour your energy into that passion project. Perhaps you’ve been wanting to change your vocation, but you’ve been too scared to take the plunge. Perhaps your financial security has been effected but you are able to envision a new future for you and your family. Although many of us are feeling a personal attack at some level, we can still dream and remain strong in our personal goals. Perhaps for the first time, in a two income family, you are finding new ways to survive on one income. Some are navigating a household full of people trying to keep everyone fed and clothed and safe and healthy.  Some are fighting this on the front lines. Every single day these folks are embracing their warrior within to muster up all the strength and courage needed to put on a brave face for the people who are depending on them. We have been asked all at once to take on several roles, many of which are out of our control and certainly out of our comfort zone. Nothing looks or feels the same as before. Perhaps that is what this is bringing for us, a new perspective, a new view and a new vision.

As we break the spell of who we were and what we did before, we can release our old paradigms and our old belief systems. Perhaps this is an invitation to get to know a whole new you. Perhaps this is a call for healing the collective family. Perhaps this is a call to heal our collective communities. Perhaps this is a call to heal the planet. Perhaps this is a call to feel what is truly important to you. Perhaps this is a call to revive and rebuild. Perhaps this is a call to engage in a deeper, more meaningful way to engage with everyone and everything in your life.

Change is inevitable and a change is among us. Change makes me wonder.  I wonder how we will come out of this. I wonder how long the impact will affect our choices. I wonder how we will act. I wonder how we will love. I wonder how we will give. I wonder how we will judge. I wonder how we will see. I wonder how we will feel. I wonder how we will listen. I wonder how we will help others. I wonder how we will improve. I wonder how we will BE.

Wishing all of you…

Connection and support. Love and gratitude. Good health and a strong immune system. Peace and calm.

Be well dear friends,

DDBR-Micki

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