How are you doing? This pandemic has most of us at home with plenty of time to do what?
We have a choice. Called the “poet laureate of the pandemic” by Oprah, Catherine O’Meara wrote this poem March 16, 2020,
“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and learned new ways of being, and were still.
And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they themselves had been healed.”
What if we choose to use this humbling cocooning time to break free of our awkward, slow, consuming green caterpillar pieces to birth our free, colorful, pollinating butterfly wholeness. What if we reappear in the world with appreciation for each other regardless of differences? Neuroscience proves that a feeling of unity imprints emotional and physical health. When college students showed compassionate acts, they automatically experienced an increase in their immune function even in the bodies of young men who laughingly poked fun.
In early February, I joined an Eco-Peace + Unity Earth peacekeeping journey through the Middle East. This group of 92 including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha’i, Sikh, indigenous and interfaith spiritual leaders, social entrepreneurs, academics, diplomats, musicians, ecologists, filmmakers, and peace activists. Rabbi David Rosen, Advisor on Inter-religious Affairs to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, traveled to historical religious sites shared by Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians. We visited areas with high tension. Yet, the surprise was visiting communities who successfully live together though their deepest beliefs are quite different. Witnessing their mutual respect for the good of the whole was so heartening. The lack of judgment formed an environment of equal appreciation.
We became a Caravan of Unity that was uplifting and inspiring. It still carries me forward… through the current times.
Let’s use this time of slowing down to soften into compassion for every human being. The virus has brought us to our knees. As my Eco-Peace friend wrote, “The Coronavirus doesn’t respect the border between Israel and Palestine. We are in this together. We have a choice to suffer or to repurpose the experience into one that brings benefit.
I pass along words from my friend and visionary Jean Houston,
“Take all the precautions that are recommended, and at the same time be bold in your love, and constant in your faith that together we will pass through this challenging time. On the other side of it, we will look back and realize that we were part of an epic time in history when caring triumphed over fear, and goodness prevailed!”
This month you receive two meditations… Below is a music video from our Caravan of Unity… it feels good
And then there’s a meditation I wrote for you to remember that you are more than just your body
Finding Peace Meditation
www.DrDebSandella.com c 2007-2020
Speak the Following for Yourself… and Your Loved Ones
I close my eyes and taking a cleansing breath, I inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth. I take another deep breath and in exhaling, I let my shoulders sink toward the earth and settle into greater relaxation. How easy it is to nestle into myself as I release any need to be “somebody” or to “achieve something.” I am merely me, a body and spirit surviving in a world of many distractions and diversions.
Setting aside all else, I claim this time, and dive into the depths of my authentic self. The descent is easy and natural as I shed any pretense of being a particular way. I am what I am, I feel what I feel, I welcome it all and trust the process of being natural.
Settling into my center, I allow the feelings to flow–like turning the faucet and letting the waters of life wash away the residue of living. Sadness, joy, anger, rage, jealousy, happiness–whatever comes rises to the surface and is embraced as a fleeting taste of life. Each drop falls as a testament to being alive, to having the human capacity to feel, and to having the spiritual capacity to see beyond it.
All else is unimportant at this moment. I am absorbed with the totality of who I really am. I awaken to the diverse continuum of my feelings–joy and sadness–laughter and tears–fear and courage. It is all me and it is not me. It is life itself flowing through me with seasons and transitions. With ups and downs. With beauty and ugliness. I welcome it all, and resistance melts away. With this disintegration, space is created. Open space, empty space. Profound space to be Me.
I am as vast as the Universe and as deep as the ocean. My capacity to experience life is pure and vital. Experiencing it all, I sense the truth of my nature. One with the one, I am imbued with powers to create, to heal, to transform. How could I have forgotten something so important? How could I have given up my nature to pretend I’m nothing more than my body? I let the questions pass and embrace the essence. Like all of creation, I too am magically imprinted with the capacity for miracles.
I am the soul who sought to be born in this specific body at this specific time. I am the energy of itself burning like a star emitting a light for all to see. I am the unique being who walks this planet with my special purpose.
I am Me… with all my foibles … and all my talents!
I am Me… a divine spirit inhabiting a human body…
I am mortal… I am eternal… I am a miracle!
And so it is!
***Feel free to share with the following credit***
c 2007-2020 Dr. Deb Sandella, Founder of the RIM® Institute
DrDebSandella.com
With Gratitude, DrDeb