Mindfulness for the Soul
Consider this a ‘how-to’ on surviving social distancing in the wake of COVID-19
Now we’re all struggling to maintain our wits through the tectonic shock of the Corona pandemic. ‘Social distancing’ and staying indoors is paramount. To talk of the impact and panic surrounding the outbreak is repetitive — there’s plenty of news on that along with an information overload courtesy of social media. Enough and more is known about what’s wrong in our world, but less is known about self-preservation in the wake of it. Going by the ways of our increasingly dystopic quotidian, the Universe demands we pause to reassess. How do we sustain ourselves in isolation without our usual social distractions?
“Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
One would consider this a token quote thrown in for literary effect, but take a moment to go back and read it again, slowly. Allow yourself to absorb each word, and hopefully in due course, as its intent marinates and stews in your mind, its inherent truth will pulsate through your being.
many-people-are-alive-but-don’t-touch-the-miracle-of-being-alive
Thich Nhat Hanh is the MVP of mindfulness. His words are simple, his messages profound. The uninitiated may posit that calling life a ‘blessing’ is a spiritual cliché, but believing so is egotistical denial and a greater disservice to one’s own being. Is the fact that you exist in mortal flesh, capable and independent to perceive the world around you, engage, build, and create within it not one to marvel at? Does the wondrous and seemingly automatic functioning of your being — a result of surpassing many million species in evolution — not leave you in pensive curiosity? Our existence and thriving are miracles, and the understanding of its mind-boggling science is proof.
I have been luxuriating in the solace of my own company for the better part of my later 20’s. I’m not an absolute recluse, but I cherish being home or walking by the beach in blissful solitude over raging night-outs 3 times a week. Deem as you may this self-imposed isolation a coping mechanism for anxiety, but I have accepted and embraced my ambivert truth with open arms, for I have experienced the yanking and grounding of my conscious anchor back to the present and seen how it is truly synonymous with a gift. And the discoveries of my on-going journey have helped me navigate the murky waters of an overfull mind to gradually becoming more mindful. I only wish I’d realized sooner, but they say I’m still young.
Press Pause
To be mindful is to honour the miracle of life. To allow ourselves to be in absolute awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and experiences on a moment-to-moment basis, so we may suffer what there is to suffer and enjoy what there is to enjoy, and move on. It starts by simply acknowledging one’s self and one’s reality — with all the permutations and combinations of things that make it seem beautiful or ugly, as they are. As we do so, we begin to respond rather than react to our situations — a miracle! We find an altered frequency to approach life through. If we’re happy, we feel happier. If we’re confronting a problem, we find ourselves open to newer ways of dealing with it. We begin to find our own answers, and appropriately reach out for help. Because the key here is to be self-aware. When we observe, identify, acknowledge and accept our emotions as they are, we become more conscious and that’s half the battle won.
With the demanding and stressful reality of life today, our minds are stuck in a vicious cycle of mental unrest — we’ve already bitten off more than we can chew and are now uneasy with existential indigestion. In times like the present when hyper-awareness and hyper-connectedness breed cynicism and despair largely prevails, we must choose to reclaim and conquer the chaos in our minds — if for nothing else, at least for posterity.
If there’s one thing that social-distancing is teaching us, it is the undeniable need to hit a hard pause and question what is it that truly matters, what is the need of the hour? What are the choices we’re making for ourselves? How are we impacting the world? Mindfulness is the thought and effort put towards identifying what is happening in the ‘now’, to be in complete cognisance of that moment’s experience, so one can equip oneself to deal with the ‘next’. Any change that must take place hereon, both individually and collectively, must begin within — a shift to a kinder world has to be united, and for that, we must begin with being kind to ourselves by listening to ourselves.
How to ‘mindful’?
Far from the commercialisation of the concept, the actual practice of mindfulness doesn’t necessarily warrant expensive retreats or colour-changing bath bombs (although there’s no denying the thrills of these salubrious indulgences). A regular practice of meditation is the first step to achieving a gradual shift in awareness, as well as reading the writings of Hanh. As one delves further into the practice of mindfulness, the magic begins.
Being mindful can allow one to nurture an untarnished sense of wonder for life, reviving the lost capacity to experience limitless joy at something as seemingly ordinary as a bite of a sumptuous, juicy peach or being left bewitched by the melting colours of the sky at dusk. And what better time to do this than while social distancing?
For the practical rehaul: rearrange priorities. Assess your daily schedule while in lockdown and identify which are your peak stress-points throughout the day. Fit in a mindful activity around that time.
Revisit a hobby you’ve never pursued, or not pursued enough. Allow yourself to explore it, alone or with your housemates. Approach the activities you do together (cooking, cleaning, or even piecing together a jigsaw) with curious wonder and you’ll realise just how much more you love them despite the glaring idiosyncrasies that make us all such glorious messes.
When pressed with time amidst house chores and a demanding work-from-home schedule, allow yourself 5-minute slots during lunch or between Zoom meetings to switch off from everything else to recharge and energize. Do this as frequently as possible. Or find yourself a daily personal ritual, like sunset or moon-gazing.
When we slow down in this manner, it impacts us both intrapersonally, and interpersonally. With acknowledgment and acceptance of our being’s current state, we find ourselves more responsive and empowered to keep toxic emotions and destructive patterns at bay. Does being mindful make one lonely? Far from it, for one is forever in awe, making each engagement and response to situations and people richly enhanced. I can vouch for this.
Let this not be a journey that overwhelms, but one that sets free: simply look at mindfulness from the perspective of shutting the world out and attuning yourself with your inner self to find simple solutions for our complex times. Answers are never static, they evolve — and as we can see around us with the uncertainties of the COVID-19 situation, change is the only constant nature of life. Why not align?
I hope you find your rhythm and enjoy the miracle that is life.
