After another week at home, I find myself growing quieter and wanting to just be in the garden or chant with Deva Premal or practice some yoga with my big black lab (he thinks my yoga mat is his playground and brings me all his toys while I’m in DownDog…). I’m loving having time to be home and be present for all the moment by moment changes that this renewal of Spring offers. Little miracles are happening everywhere – in the tight buds preparing to pop on tree limbs, fresh new flowers joining the glad daffodils each day, and bright blue sky piercing the space between branches no longer bare.
And then I open my phone to check on the horrors of today’s news, or get lost down the rabbit hole of Facebook, or delve into the multitude of really positive offerings that, even in their goodness, are nevertheless just too much to process…. and in no time at all I feel stress rising to cloud my mind and settle in my body. I leave the present moment and am catapulted into the future by fear and “what ifs.”
This is an unreal reality that we are living and we must choose to navigate it in ways that are meaningful and nurture ourselves in all ways. Rather than merely passing time, how can we artfully craft our days to challenge our minds, invigorate our bodies and delight our spirit? For those of us staying at home, it is an extraordinary gift of time and possibility, of activity and rest, and of quiet reflection. I encourage you to explore new interests, develop budding talents in yourself, and take advantage of all that is life-affirming in the midst of the chaos that is swirling around us. Whatever your choices, stay present… breathe deeply… and live from the light and love of your heart.
-Carla
