My journey (so far) through the global lockdown

As we near the end of the sixth week of lockdown I have found myself reflecting on what has occurred over the past month and a half and am checking in with my self.

The days have become a bit of a blur, but keeping to a little personal routine and appreciating the small aspects of my day has supported me to find a flow and work through the suffocating anxiety of feeling trapped that I experienced during the first few days of lockdown.   

My little routine has really helped me to use my time more efficiently, but some days are definitely more productive than others. Early to bed, early to rise has been a personal preference over the past five years so even though I don’t have to get up for anything in particular I have still been setting my alarm for 7:30 each day. The bright morning sunlight, the singing birds, observing the squirrels chasing one another and even the chiming church bells have offered a peaceful comfort. The sun has shown its face everyday (except for two snowy days, a few weeks back) so waking up early to my beautiful light filled flat has instantly allowed me to feel grateful, supporting me to begin each day in an uplifted mood.

Personal tools and activities

• Yoga practice every morning has kept me feeling strong and grounded. During the first week of ‘at home solitude’ I participated in a 7 day online retreat which introduced me to kundalini pranayama (breathing) techniques. These techniques help to purify and clear out stagnate and negative energy blocks and the pranayama exercises have reminded me just how powerful and cleansing the breath is.

• My day begins with a warm cup of fresh lemon water to kickstart the digestive fire, followed by a cup of green tea, rich in anti-oxidants and awakening the mind.

• Dance! Dance! Dance! Music has been medicine and each day I make sure I just dance, jump, twirl, shake and groove! Movement also releases energetic blocks and there is always a type music for any time of day and for any mood! During moments of frustration, feeling overwhelmed or anger, heavy and fast tunes have soon had me sweating it all out! A perfect cardio workout indeed!   

• Appreciating comfy time with my husband, talking together, watching a series and cooking delicious meals. (A thank you to my friends who have been sharing their yummy recipes!)

• Setting up a garden. I have a small balcony and worked with my husband to build a beautiful hanging herb garden. Now we get to be surrounded by greenery, have invited the bees to pollinate and have fresh yummy herbs to cook with.

• Having an occasional hot bath to relax any tension in the muscles and when showering I really envision the water droplets washing away the day and any worries or negative feelings.

• Spring cleaning; de-cluttered, tidied and refreshed my living space.

• Walking through the parks and along the nearby canal has inspired me to enjoy the spring season blooming; the white and pink cherry blossoms contrast against the clear blue sky, the geese have returned from the south, birds are building nests, fat bumblebees buzz through the air, the sweet smell of jasmine flowers, the cool breeze brushes across my skin and the warm sun kisses my cheeks.   

• Working with a slow and steady pace… I have felt no rush… no rush to be anywhere or to do anything. I have time. I am working around 15 hours a week and my time is divided between filming English lessons for children and kids yoga sessions, editing the films, live Zoom classes and lesson planning. During the second week of being at home a second job opportunity arose when a dear friend contacted me with an invitation to teach adult yoga classes for her online studio! My manifestation has become a reality! I am absolutely loving being reconnected with the Mandala Tree Yoga community as well as having this platform to teach old and new students again! New skills have been developed as I have learned to navigate my way using technology to record and share my classes.

• Getting lost in a good book! Shantaram has been an epic (and sometimes shocking) journey with so many underlying lessons and morals. I highly recommend it to anyone who desires an exciting and thrilling read.

• Journaling! Putting pen to paper is an amazing process that frees thoughts, ideas, feelings and events and has supported me to reflect upon and process what has been occurring around me. I am overly aware that I am not in control of my own life right now… after being practically independent since I was 15 years old, I have been struggling with these physical restrictions and constraints. Writing out my concerns, underlying fears and negative feelings has been a release!

• I think I can speak for most of us that digital social connection has been a very supportive method to cope during these times of being physically distanced from each other.

Loss

On April 14th my Grandma passed away and upon receiving this news I was filled with mixed emotions; relief, that she no longer has to suffer from dementia, sadness, that she passed without having family by her side and anger towards the current situation which makes it impossible to visit and for my family to be able to arrange a funeral.

I really began to feel the benefits of using these tools (listed above) whilst processing such deeply felt emotions… journaling to process what happened, pranayama and yoga to cleanse, dance to release, a hot bath to relax, hugs from from my husband for comfort and nature to nurture! 

Regeneration

Mother nature must be taking a deep breath in and feeling a fresh sense of relief that humans have had to just stop! …A stop to the ‘never ending’ wheel of production and industry, pollution levels beginning to drop, the skies have become more open and free from air traffic and there is less noise pollution… the environment has been getting a chance to regenerate.

This experience has to be a reminder that we humans are not the highest and most important beings in this universe! We are all one! Nature and all the living creatures deserve to be respected! Humans once lived symbiotically with nature, but over the years have become more and more disconnected, selfish, greedy and ignorant of traditional, communal practices that support a balanced existence. Perhaps this event could potentially support a global shift in the way we choose to live on this planet? At the very least it is offering us the time to reflect upon and ask ourselves what is truly important to us, what do we really need in life in order to be happy and how can I create this reality for not only myself but for each other?     

Patience

Uncertainty can certainly be overwhelming, but I have found that having patience, taking one day at a time and making sure I focus on the people and activities that make me feel good, are supporting me to learn from this experience. Acknowledge the low moments, they are a part of the reflective process. We all have past/suppressed emotions, traumas, memories that can/could come up to the surface. Have patience with yourself and allow yourself the space to let it go. Be gentle. Connect to a creative form of expression, whether it be music, art, writing, cooking, gardening, etc and utilise these tools to support the process. We are taking this journey together.

We are one.