The Global Pandemic and Us: Some Thoughts

During this period of corona pandemic when there is neither medicine nor vaccine for the disease, there is lot of emphasis on our own immune system. The better is our immunity system, the better our chances of defeating the virus.

Ayurveda prescribes many natural ingredients and processes to help boost our immune system. We have received many of those in our inboxes. But how many actually do that, take effort to do that? Naturally many though know would not take that effort because it is too cumbersome or may be despite knowing we do not believe fully that it has that magical benefit. So though the knowledge is there, the drive to take action will be absent.

Similarly our ancient knowledge of Yoga and Pranayam suggests breath work and asanas increase vitality and strengthen immune system.  The knowledge helps us only when we take those actions and actions will be taken by those who believe in those methods and have a drive to take action.

When we know something beneficial for us, but we do not take action on that is revealing to us that within us there is misalignment regarding this information. A part of our mind knows, but a part of us is in conflict with this information. Any conflict is indicative of fear and desire to escape. So a part of us is fearful of the process or result and trying to resist. And without unraveling that fear and addressing that, however hard we try to act on that information we find roadblock after some progress and a pattern ensues. We move two steps forward and then we stop taking action. Then again we start and then pause.

So we may think we believe X, but the belief may lie in some other layer of mind as Y which may be in direct contrast of the thinking that we believe X. This is where again our ancient knowledge has given us a path called Meditation.

Meditation helps us to explore our own body and mind and the conjunction of the two. It helps us to reach those layers of mind where we are hiding many thoughts/beliefs which we may negate in our conscious. But like a hidden programme in a computer it is there and affecting us. So our new endeavor turns out to be a struggle instead of a smooth journey and we become an apparent looser stuck in a particular point.

And to me the Pandemic is actually pushing us to stop and align our various layers. It has forced us to stay in as much and stay with self. It has forced us to curtail our flow outside, flow towards others. When we voluntarily go for #meditation or self healing or understanding self, the first precondition is that. We pull ourselves in; we cut contact with outside and get into the process of being with our own selves. The Pandemic has forced entire human race to do that. It has forced us to stop and see and change the pattern we were in. May be we all were in a pattern thinking X, however collectively we were ready to face our belief Y.

Like an intoxicated person who if forced to let go of the substance of intoxication goes through withdrawal symptoms, we are going through that unrest due to this forced isolation from what we had taken as our normal life style. Fear of unknown has brought unrest, churning and depression in many.

But maybe that is the process through which we are moving to a new normal. Like an individual recovering from any substance intoxication faces the withdrawal symptoms and embraces the new recovered self, we also have been forced by nature to move towards a new changed scenario, a new normal. May be it is a message to adopt all those ancient prescriptions which a layer of our mind was yearning to practice but collectively we had shut down in our particular patterned existence. May be we needed a collective detox like this.

As we have been forced in, the earth is #healing itself, purifying the toxicity our normal has inflicted on it. Its preparing itself as new, clean, more habitable entity with pure air, pure water, less jumbled up and crisscrossed energy. May be it is our turn to be conscious of our role in this process. Let us be aware of our withdrawal symptoms and embrace the methods that will make us more aligned and lead us to a new peaceful vibration.

Let us embrace whatever we are doing to detox us with trust and shed the half doubt, half-heartedness and   self consciousness. Nobody is watching us and laughing at us. And if anybody is doing, then let us understand the conflict in us through them.

Let us acknowledge our fear, anxiety and helplessness within. Let us face the turmoil within and without with awareness.

Let the New Normal Be.