Let’s be honest; the shit has hit the fan.
There is no certain response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. People are scrambling to make tough choices in order to mitigate the storm and eventually lead us all back to a sense of balance. But, we can find this sense of balance within us by looking toward the teachings of yoga philosophy.
Within the uncertainty of our current situation I am reminded of Yoga Sutras 1:33;
“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, [we] retain an undisturbed calmness.”
The Reality of Our Uncertainty
People are out of work, without real relief or long term prospects, parents (sometimes single) are struggling to homeschool children and secure their next meal, the reality of the current world health crisis is exposing the fragility of many: People with depression; in abusive situations; the elderly; the homeless;anyone that is under resourced.
Those that are on the front lines, from Health Care Professionals to Minimum Wage Workers, are being touted as “essential,” yet often lack basic healthcare, sick leave, or the tools to carry out their mandates.
Citizen response often aligns with party lines and deeply held beliefs about climate change, the job of the Federal government, economic priorities, religious ideology, social preferences, and science in general. How we have arranged ourselves in this experiment of government by the people is taking a beating and the pressure of the moment is exposing all its fault lines.
RELATED: Living Peacefully With Uncertainty
It’s Going to be a Long Row to Hoe
Growing up on a farm in Texas, many many moons ago, I found myself meandering for hours on end with nothing but my imagination and a few hundred acres to occupy my time. Daily responsibilities included feeding the animals (horses, goats, and cows) morning and night, doing my own laundry, my weekly household chore that was always on rotation, spending an hour tending the acre garden, and minding the fence for holes as I walked. Beyond that, my days were my own.
Windy days provided dancing birds and whistling grass. Scorching hot days drove me under a shade tree, iced tea in hand. On a rainy day you could find me staring at the ceiling listening to the orchestra on the tin roof. Others, you would find me buried in a book far off in the imagination of writers much more seasoned than myself then, or now.
As an adult without children or a partner, fully house and well stocked with provisions, I find myself back in a position to occupy myself as I wish. It’s a privileged place to be. Yes, I’m unemployed. No, I don’t have near enough in savings. Yes, I feel the weight of the moment. Deeply.
With the shifting of our day to day lives we have all this excess energy that was expressed in one way (go to work, meet for lunch, pick up the kids, complete chores, make dinner) that has now been disrupted and displaced.
Yoga as a Certainty Anchor
One way to heed a bit of stability is to cultivate what self-development podcaster and award-winning author, Jonathan Fields calls Certainty Anchors, “It’s about creating and sustaining experiences, activities and moments, rituals and habits, that serve as psychological anchors no matter what else remains groundless.”
Yoga has always encouraged this form of discipline. Yoga philosophy teaches us to return to our self, our center. The tools of meditation, the tools of the breathing practices and postures, the tools of study and observation.
Yoga invites us to turn inward, to investigate sensations and to ultimately find one’s center. It urges us to ask ourselves the following questions:
What is my Vibe?
Where do I register it?
Physically, Psychologically, Emotionally?
You are invited to respond to it completely, thereby transmuting it. You may find this practice leads you from one sensation to another.
It is a skill to attune to ones inner landscape & to attune to what abides there. Follow the persuasion of your breath as you travel. In the end, the fruits of our practice will become evident. We will find that amidst all else we are Grounded, Centered, Focused, and Relaxed.
Where to Begin With Yoga Philosophy
I always return to the Yoga Sutra 1:33. I allow it’s words of compassion and wisdom to inspire and soothe me.
These words have been my guiding light in times of trouble, grave uncertainty, and in times of celebration. I’ve returned to them now for comfort and perspective.
I urge you to sit for a few moments, connect with your breath, start to meander towards the sensations of the moment and read the passage again. In each of its instructions you may find a way to return to love and that “undisturbed calmness.”
To Your Undisturbed Calmness,
Shelley
Yoga Teacher, Spiritual Enthusiast, Experimental Human: With a passion for Yoga and Energy work that is accessible Shelley brings joy to each class and encourages you to connect to the voice of the great teacher within! A former military brat, farm girl from Texas, soap store goddess & actress Shelley spent almost ten years in NYC where she studied with the top teachers in the industry including Shiva Rea, Dharma Mitra, Anna Forest, Jonathan Fields, Schuyler Grant, and many others. Currently residing in Florida, Shelley opened The Yoga Paogda as a physical studio and after seven years she closed the doors in order to travel teach and work with one on one clients. She co-founded the Treasure Coasts only LGBTQ+ Non-Profit (Vero Pride), has trained over sixty yoga teachers, is an artist, reiki practitioner, writer, blogger, lover of champange/dancing/exploring, & is on the Happiness Team for The Good Life Project. Follow her on IG, FB, Twitter: @shelleyadelle @yogapagodaconcierge #86bs #vinyasablend #sexyhallucination
