A Collective Exhale

This uncertain time has been one of heartbreak, tremendous pain, health struggles and grief for many of us. Our health is precious and we have to handle it with care. We owe it to ourselves to find things that we can learn from this experience in order to grow. Difficult times often make us stronger, and this unpredictable and challenging time can also be an opportunity for a reset and a much-needed pause.

I remember how a few months back I was feeling run down and wishing for the time to rest, slow down and recover. I have always thought of rest as a privilege. The nature of our lives does not always afford us the time needed to rest. But here we are, forced to be at home, and many of us have a lot more time on our hands.

When we first entered our present version of isolation, I felt that if I wasn’t working enough then I wasn’t accomplishing enough. I realized that I was operating from a place of fear, causing me to feel powerless and vulnerable. According to Patti Conklin, Ph.D., the word FEAR stands for Forgetting Every Available Resource. We need to just step back, release the fear, and have trust and faith that every resource is already inside us. When we are in fear we can’t see the forest for the trees. Fear releases stress hormones, triggering left-brain dominance and keeping us searching externally for answers.

I then began to relax into the situation and became aware of my thoughts and reactions. The beauty of our experiences often gets revealed when we embrace it and are able to change our perception, have faith and trust, and feel deep gratitude. Being able to see everything as a blessing.

My mother moved in to stay safe and I have had a lot more time with her. I’m happy to say that she’s eating a lot more healthfully, she doesn’t have a choice (☺), and we’ve been enjoying our time together. It’s been a blessing in so many ways for both of us!

This can be a time to go inwards and ignite our creativity. Isn’t that what we are meant to be doing? Being creative is part of our soul’s yearning. We can often become myopic and stuck in our limiting patterns. I remember a sign once said, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.” Our growth is no longer optional. What existed before has changed.

Rest is essential and part of the protocol to keep us healthy and strong. Now is the time to nourish ourselves on every level and  take a collective exhale as we are forced to slow down and take inventory of our lives. Let’s use this time to get ourselves healthier. This can be an opportunity to practice deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi, pilates, being creative with new recipes and of course eating healthfully! ☺