A Return Home
Illness naturally draws us inward. When we are ill, we are forced to return to ourselves to meet our most basic needs. We are drawn to care for our body instead of ignoring it or pushing it to the limit. We listen and pay attention to what it is telling us. We slow down, and we might even think about the deeper meaning of our lives as we go through a process of healing.
The coronavirus is causing all of humanity to slow down, to consider our body’s needs, and also to consider the needs of those around us who are the most vulnerable. It is stopping us from consuming (except for buying necessary supplies) and going to external sources to seek forms of comfort, entertainment, and pleasure.
When we view the coronavirus as a messenger, it is clear the message is to return home, not only to the physical environment we call home, but to the home where our soul resides. We are called to return to the stillness within, to remember who we are, and what’s most important in our lives.
This time is an opportunity to go deeper, to heal ourselves, to return to balance, and to understand the deeper meaning of why this virus is here with us.
How is the coronavirus getting our attention? What are our thoughts focused on? Are we going into fear and taking action in a panicked way? Or are we able to breathe deeply and trust in the higher order of things?
Are we turning to our daily practices to ground, clear, and contain? Are we relying upon the inherent strength, stability, and wisdom of our body, or have we become lost in the chaos of collective fear?
Our actions in the time of crisis or threat reveal the truth of our inner world and where we mentally and emotionally reside.
For those who have been working to advance in consciousness, this is the time we have been preparing for. This is the time to fortify our practice and support one another to remember who we are and why we are here. This is not the time to go into fear, to hold back, and to forget what we have learned. We need to step up now and be consistent and stable in our practices. We need to continually tune-in to higher wisdom to direct our thoughts, choices, and actions. We are the energetic stability that humanity needs at this time.
When we face a potential loss of our health, our livelihoods, and of those we love, we innately turn our attention and focus to the preciousness of the present moment. We turn our focus away from what we will buy next, what trip we will take, what will entertain us, and what we can achieve at a later time to something bigger than our personal desires.
We wake up from the illusion of the never-ending supply available to meet our desires and think about what is needed to save our lives and sustain our future.
The coronavirus is pushing us to look more closely at the future sustainability of our way of being. It is causing us to look at the ways we are currently unhealthy, not only in our bodies, but in our thinking, in how we respond, in the choices we make, and in the way we treat others. A virus exposes the internal imbalance within us, one we can no longer ignore or deny.
In every situation, we can see at least two perspectives. When faced with a crisis or a threat, it is essential not to panic and make decisions impulsively. We want to pause and rise above the problem at hand to see a higher view. When we do this, we respond more consciously. We help others respond more consciously. We create more stability within ourselves, in our families, and our community. Instead of separating, we evolve together.
Residing in fear for too long creates the exact outcome we are afraid of. We weaken our immune system and create a greater imbalance within us. The fearful, panicked action of hoarding supplies is an excellent example of this. We may believe we are securing what we need for ourselves and our families, but when we leave others in the community unable to get what they need to protect themselves, the virus spreads all around us, and eventually, the imbalance becomes so great there is no way to contain it.
In the same way, when individuals focus on excessive consumption to meet their every desire, the result is a greater imbalance. On the opposite end of extreme wealth and excessive consumption, you find increased poverty, homelessness, starvation, and sick people who cannot afford healthcare, eventually leading to a diseased society that affects the whole.
As the coronavirus helps humanity to return home, to self, to soul, and to consciousness, Mother Earth receives a healing. The constant depletion of her resources stops, at least for a short while.
Photograph by Joydeep Pal
