isolation in covid-19
How many of you have heard of the ‘Vipassana’ meditation? If you go to their website they define the course as : “Vipassana means ‘to see things as they really are’. It is a process of self-purification by self-observation”. Essentially, from what I’m told by friends who attended the course is that you remain silent and in complete isolation (no phones allowed) from the world for 10 days and meditate; many aren’t able to go through the entire duration and leave earlier.
While you have a choice on whether you wish to go into Vipassana or not, unfortunately the current pandemic hasn’t left us any choice and we have been compelled to be in isolation, thankfully connected via technology. Every person began on a new journey since then, each one unique to their own circumstances & coping with the best available mechanism. However, one thing we all have in common is this time period for self-observation.
I went through the initial period of stress & anxiety due to loss of control over the several so-called stable areas of my life. Suddenly, I found myself taking on new roles of being a teacher, home schooling my child, doing household chores etc. The initial storm inside me has calmed down and I am able to appreciate the gains during this period. This is the first time ever I have experienced the richness of being a homemaker, spending quality time with my family, cooking their favorite foods, experiencing the richness of motherhood by being with my son 24 x 7, the new found camaraderie between us (considering I have always been a working mother) is worth cherishing and I am glad we are making good memories for eventually we are all going to come out of this pandemic. This time has also taught me to be happy with basics. It really doesn’t matter what car you drive because most of the times it is just parked out there. I find time to meditate and connect with my inner self. I have enrolled in learning “Reiki” to heal myself as well as mark the new beginning to realize my calling of improving and impacting lives.
The lesson for all of us here is that life is unpredictable and we are dispensable. Therefore, now is the time to focus inward and find the one thing that you always wanted to do but had been postponing. It is also time to practice forgiveness towards yourselves & others. Take time to heal from any past emotional baggage you are carrying just like nature is healing itself by improving its air quality, cleaning its water bodies etc. Nature has given us an opportunity to take time for our lives, so make the most of it. This time made me realize that I was living a ‘myth’ of striving towards stability because the nature of life itself is dynamic and will always keep changing. As Sadhguru says, treat life as a suspense thriller and enjoy it.
Going forward, our biggest asset would be our strong and stable mental state, therefore work towards strengthening that. This is the time to practice extreme self-care because it is very easy to slip into the victim mentality which will only lead to downfall. Take responsibility to turn the tide in your favour.
Signing off with Lots of Love,
Rashhmi Yadav
