*Edited (original post 5/4/2020)
Have you been feeling lonely lately? If so, know that it’s totally 100% normal and okay to be feeling loneliness and other emotions right now. Trust that you are not “alone” my friend and that a path exists for you not just to feeling better in the moment but transcending it and finding inner peace, even bliss.
As hard as it is to be isolated during this pandemic, it has been my experience that in these times of loneliness we have an opportunity to cultivate inner growth and create true self-transformation. I attribute this outlook to the spiritual and self development work I have done over the years, and all of the teachers, coaches, mentors, parents, and friends that have taught me so much.
Don’t get it twisted, I’ve been struggling and on my own emotional roller coaster throughout this unprecedented time but I’m also learning, growing, and connecting in many ways. I can only imagine the unhealthy spiral I would be going down right now if not for this foundation. Before establishing practices such as yoga, meditation, and self-care, my instinct would have been to numb the pain and distract myself from the sadness. In fact, this self-destructive behavior was what lead me down a spiritual and wellness path in the first place.
About 9 years ago, I went from dabbling in yoga to developing a more regular practice. I began to meditate and read books like The Secret and The Power of Now. I started to enhance my awareness of my thoughts, realize the power of my mind, and the mind-body connection. I started to realize that my thoughts were keeping me stuck and suffering and I had the power to change that. Since then, it has been a journey of ups and downs, with connecting to consciousness, calming the monkey mind, and finding joy in the present moment.
Today in 2020, this quarantine has allowed me to deepen my practice once again. Living alone in a time when we are forced to socially distance, there have been times of sadness and loneliness, of uncertainty and insecurity. I acknowledge my privilege and also know that I wouldn’t be able to find the gifts in this time if it were not for my spiritual foundation.
I would probably suffer the loneliness more if it weren’t for my desire to explore and transcend it. I don’t want to avoid the pain anymore. I want to feel it, understand it, find out what it’s trying to tell me, and how it can serve me. The feelings of alone, lack, scarcity, and not living up to expectations are based on social conditioning, not reality. This quarantine is my inner retreat, a vision quest, not to a far away land but to the depths of my heart and soul.
The tools are available to help us return to bliss, they are not outside of our selves, we just have to tune in and turn them on. I will not come out of this thing the same. I will not wait for things to go back to normal. I will not hold myself to societal expectations but rather trust the wisdom of the Universe, that which resides in me.
I am truly grateful for the many tools, practices, and people getting me through this, including:
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~Yoga and meditation practice
~Movement/ exercise- teaching online fitness
~Coaches and mentors (Yes, I have my own coaches!)
~Family/friends
~Dance & Music
~Nature
~Serving others
~Sleep & relaxation
~Aromatherapy
~Journaling
~God/Universe⠀
I truly hope you’re hanging in and would love to know- what you have been doing to stay sane and perhaps even grow during this time in quarantine? Have you developed any practices that you will carry-over with you as you emerge from quarantine?