Category: Uncategorized

If you are able to say you are bored, awww, so sorry (hint of sarcasm?) you must be very lucky !

You are not running a restaurant that pivoted all the sudden to take-outs.

You are not health care workers who need to show up to work.

You are not bagging or shelving grocery store shelves.

You are not delivering all those goods from warehouse to your front porch.

You are not caring for children and all the sudden running a home school and… oh, there’s that conference all and there are still … deadlines.

You are not caring for students as teachers with learning curve to go online and “figuring it out”.

You are not caring for the elderly

You are not a small business owner trying to figure out a new method to reinvent the business.

You are not filing for unemployment or keeping well informed to figure out that government handouts eligibility.

*********** Please I cannot stand to hear someone complaining about being bored. If you are bored, you are very fortunate. Just stay home and improve yourself or do all the things you never had any time to. It really is that time to go INWARD. You don’t have to go out in order to find things to do. There’s plenty. If you are the kind who cannot sit with your thoughts because that makes you anxious, let’s think of what you can do.

Cannot understand how anyone could be bored – there so much to do – so busy in a completely different way, sheltering – if one is really so bored, why not volunteer to bring food for the elderly or the vulnerable; be creative; you will spend 30 minutes plus in line – feeling like you are risking your life, just to go grocery shopping. As I waited in line 6 feet apart front and back, in the cold outside of a super market … the experience was unreal. This is the greatest world power in the world? Surreal to see that same look of – is this real? is this really happening expressions on people’s faces – it’s real.

BUT

When you feel things are so out of balance; the norm turned upside down in upheaval … Feeling so fortunate to have a varied blend of yoga practice that I’ve relied on for over the years. If you can use guidance and good vibe, please support your local studio or gym’s teachers who are diving into teaching livestream:

I can recommend if in search – it will all probably come down to time/schedule and the kind of teaching you can gain from now, now this particular time of uncertainty.

Personally, during this time, I prefer something a little challenging, solid but therapeutic at the same time. Yoga teachers are not allowed to call their classes “therapeutic” under Yoga Alliance’s decree but if one is a yoga therapist, as I am, that would be the ultimate intention… we still need that element of challenge to break a sweat – a great daytime practice. I personally prefer something very concrete and based on medical and scientific knowledge on anatomy, physiology and kinesiology for my mind to focus better. I need that narrative more than ever. How about you?

&

I love my special GetThruCovid-19 playlist:)

Back on the mat and feeling grounded, strong and … happy:)

We can get through this; There are some amazingly intelligent brilliant brave people in this world (to offset the other end of the spectrum, hahaha), so be inspired, hopeful. Each of us; We all have a role to play. Namaste:)

I was amazed that apparently some people are not taking this Shelter @ Home seriously. Worse, some even thought this whole thing is a joke – an over-reaction or a propaganda or fake news. They don’t realize it’s public health crisis that affects all of us, not just the older or the vulnerable demographics. It affects all of us if we don’t contain the spread. Maybe read “The Shocking Coronavirus Study that rocked the UK and US”, an article from Financial Times for example. Or just your local CDC which is trying not to freak you out, but at the same time, get you to realize the need for what we are asked to do at a tremendous sacrifice for many individuals and businesses. Times like this it’s normal to feel insecure and anxious.

If you happen to not look or hear or care about the current news and question (always question) or wonder why we are doing what we are asked to do – Please take a look at this – Science & Data – and try not to freak out as I did when I looked at it last week. Then, US was ranked at 8th or somewhere around there. That was bad enough. Now we are ranked 3rd. Our numbers have shot up since just few days ago so … quite surreal but numbers don’t lie and they are expected to accelerates and climb more as these are considered conservative numbers based on very limited testing. At this point, while I feel just fine physically, I am scared and I am not ashamed to admit it. I am normal especially because we have come to find out there are some key politicians who do not honor facts, data, science and medicine and the experts who have dedicated their entire lives to make a difference in those aforementioned fields. Instead of human tolls and that most critical number, they are looking at at different number called Dow Jones and NYSE. There is no economy if regular people young and old cannot get decent or no care at the medical facilities because of this. There is no economy if workers are dead !

Ignorance is NOT a bliss. Everybody had to get up to speed and be well informed from reliable sources. I believe we are all scared, some terrified, and if you are not, you probably don’t read or see or drank some Kool-Aid, living in the state of denial. So what do you do when what is happening is this unexpected and this disruptive ? Nothing has changed in this respect – You can control and manage your reaction. You OWN your response, your response and your actions, you own them. We have direct control over our actions. We focus and take actions – we do what you can to best prepare for the unexpected without over vigilance. If you feel vulnerable, that too is so normal; so human of you. You find ways to support and be supported; then do all you can to better strengthen your immune system by down-regulating the anxieties and doing, taking small actions in the areas that you can control and that may just mean, cleaning out and cluttering one drawer or a closet or some bigger project of good deeds (the fortunate ones). Or sadly, file for unemployment or look into cutting expenses, look to renegotiating rent/mortgage, contact your local congressman/woman, what have you.

Today, I reached out to a friend and she said we are LUCKY that we have a SHELTER to shelter at. Many people in the world don’t.

One of the reasons why my heart sank yesterday was not because of the -find blame- politics, toilet paper shortage or the empty store shelves – it was to learn that many cannot do the first line of defense of just simple 20 seconds hand washing with soap. Did you know almost 40% of world population does not have clean water to wash their hands with … So I guess whenever we feel those emotions of ‘why us?’ we have to remind ourselves, in spite of it all, we’ve got a lot. Don’t want to sound preachy but … it works for me! It is very helpful to put things into perspectives. Okay it’s bad but we are all in it together and we will come out of it … together.

Let’s always look for the silver lining of the challenges we are facing.

& always, gratitude …

Yoga Asanas, Pranayama, Meditation … all helps.

Let’s not underestimate our yoga practice.