Time To Blossom

If you make a connection between the title of this week's thought and what's been happening in our global awareness surrounding the Covid-19 virus, you might be thinking..."Really? Now's the time to blossom?" Yes, I get the irony. With an enormous level of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty circulating around the world, news that seems to change every couple of hours, and a heightened state of unknowing, it hardly seems like now is the right time to be radiant. Our instincts are to either isolate and withdraw or to minimize what's happening and carry on as normal.

So from a yogic perspective...what do we do?

The inspiration for this week's thought began during Module Nine of the Yoga Teacher Training. The trainees have been at it for about six months now and are one module away from graduating. One of the students was commenting on how challenging and stressful it has been this past couple of months as their workload has increased and making time for YTT study has been difficult. The group showed tremendous empathy and support for the student and I asked them, "What would have been the perfect time for undertaking this?" to which they replied, "Five years from now, never...I don't know." It's precisely the point. There is no perfect time for so many things that happen in our lives. If we waited until that perfect time, we may never step up to the edge and make a commitment, but procrastinate indefinitely.

At the beginning of the year, I began a year-long mentorship program and it definitely was not the perfect time with the business heading into peak season. However, it has been something that I've been wanting to do for quite some time and cut myself some slack in not having to be "the perfect student" but to commit to what I'm able to and realize I don't have to learn everything all at once. This wiggle room is definitely not my normal M.O. I want to be "the good student" and stand out...it's been quietly sitting in my bones since I can remember. But the drive to undertake something versus keeping it on a wish list eventually tipped into the "go ahead...take a shot...it doesn't have to be perfect category" and off I went.

I've been sharing the story of the lotus throughout the week. The lotus, as a seed, embeds itself in the murky and muddy waters of a pond or waterway. When it gestates, it drops roots into the mud and begins to find its way toward the surface of the water. Some inherent calling pulls it towards the light, toward the surface even though it can't "see" where it's headed. When it gets to the surface, it blossoms into its full radiance. As Thich Nhat Hahn says, "No mud...no lotus". 

And this is us at the moment. We lack clarity as to where the global pandemic of the Covid-19 virus will take us. It's as though we're being dragged through the murky waters of life, trying to find answers. Many of us are looking to outside sources for those answers but our practice reminds us that the truest answers are lying within us. 

Not having clarity, feeling fearful and anxious, we know we have the ability to look after ourselves through what our practices have taught us. Now, more than ever, is where we draw upon the skills we've been working on: finding a slow exhale, connecting into our inner experience, slowing down to make conscious choices, moving our body in a compassionate and kind manner, finding stillness, and connecting to community. Now is the time to be on your mat or meditation cushion. We practice during the calm so that when stormy weather arrives, we aren't caught off-guard. Stressful times reflect how important a regular practice is. It's an act of self-love every time you choose to practice.

We need each other now...even if not directly face-to-face. Turn into your own heart so that it may support those who need it during this time. Deep breath and many more.