may we be healthy & free of suffering
…You have traveled too fast over false ground; / Now your soul has come to take you back.
John O’Donohue, “For One Who Is Exhausted”
Take refuge in your senses, open up / To all the small miracles you rushed through.
Become inclined to watch the way of rain / When it falls slow and free.
…Draw alongside the silence of stone / Until its calmness can claim you. / Be excessively gentle with yourself.
Stay clear of those vexed in spirit. / Learn to linger around someone of ease / Who feels they have all the time in the world.
Gradually, you will return to yourself, / Having learned a new respect for your heart / And the joy that dwells far within slow time.
I came straight from a nourishing, loving week in Costa Rica to the catastrophe that is Coronavirus.
What an interesting time to be alive.
And while we are as such [living] – especially during this global fiasco – may we take the opportunity to observe how we are caring for ourselves and each other.
Health and wellbeing is an ongoing practice – not just something we turn to when we need to tackle an illness – whether it is a small cold or a worldwide pandemic.
To boot – stress makes our bodies much more susceptible to viruses and illness, making it all the more important to adopt sustainable mindfulness practices that will in turn sustain our mind-body health.
Not that you need any more COVID tips, but I offer a few simple yet potent practices as tools for your wellness tool belt to help support your overall wellbeing year-round:
- Movement | Try my YouTube yoga classes [also on Roku] – no studio required.
- Meditation | I have guided meditations on InsightTimer, alongside other wonderful teachers.
- Food | Nourish yourself with clean, delicious, plant-based meals; I share a few of my own here.
- Herbs | For situations such as this, Dr. Kantor recommends Vitamins A/C/D and Zinc; antiviral herbs like Astragalus, Elderberry, Echinacea, Ganoderma/Shitake mushroom, Isatis, and Oregano.
- Nature | Whenever possible, get outside [where there air is clean, please and thank you].
- Breath | Try Dr. Weil’s 4-7-8 breath to soothe the nervous system – I do it morning and evening.
- Laughter | It’s the best medicine.
- Rest | Make sleep a priority as best you can.
- Rush Not | Something I continue to work on. Read why this is imperative here.
- Connection | Whether or not we are quarantined, we have the means to reach out to loved ones.
Remember: “this too shall pass,” in one way or another.
In the meantime – and always – take care of yourselves and each other.
Read the newsletter for a Costa Rican-inspired Tico matcha, details for our Dordogne 2020 retreat, new YouTube yoga classes [also on Roku], an inspiring podcast, and good vibes.
Onward.
Photo: sunset view from the Shala / The Good Life Retreat / Rayos Del Sol, Costa Rica.
No Comments