Cultivating Contentment in the Era of Coronavirus
--
Yesterday I felt myself sliding into another funk as I listened to the news.
April brought the highest unemployment rate in U.S. history.
Over 1.3 million Americans suffering from coronavirus, over 80,000 dead.
Worldwide, over 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Even though my prayer and meditation practice has been quite strong, the latest news felt like a bit much to take.
I went for a walk with my dog Dixie and called my BFF Nina Lynn for advice.
I knew this wasn’t a situation for St. John’s wort, a natural healing herb for depression, or Gorse, a Bach flower remedy for when one has lost all hope, although either remedy could be prescribed for anyone wanting to try to scratch the surface of what I was feeling.
No, the answer, I knew, wouldn’t come from taking anything but from a deep shift of my inner attitude.
“I know you’ve been meditating…”Nina observed.
“And I know you feel grateful.
“Make a list of what you truly feel happy about,” she advised me.
Finding our way mentally emotionally during this challenging period of global change takes more than one approach.
Although I have taught yoga for 25 years it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that I started meditating as if my life depended upon it.
I had broken up with my fiancé and the city of Atlanta construction crews had damaged the road in front of my home.
My house was literally shaking.
You could stand in my back driveway during the day and feel the earth shake.
My neighbors and I all had earthquake meters on our phones.
In the middle of the night large trucks would literally rattle the house when they drove by at 2 a.m., waking me up from the…