We Shouldn’t All Be Sad Now

Holding space to heal the world

The pandemic is taking a toll on many lives right now. Problems are real, deaths, income deprivation, and compromised resources. No one knows how to define normal, and no one can predict the best way to move forward from one day to the next.

Can You Hear Them Now?

The government chants stay home and wash your hands, but says nothing about how to maintain our mental health. People are told where they can order food or secure a free meal. Less is said about the importance of home fitness at this time. There are plenty of online social activities, but not much said about the virtue of silence and alone time.

The advice you take and the messages you consume are just as important as washing your hands and staying indoors. More than ever, we need to open our hearts and our minds and capitalize on the mind-body-spirit connection.

The advice you take and the messages you consume are just as important as washing your hands and staying indoors.

Whether you believe in a conspiracy theory, the metaphysical revenge of the earth, or poor hygiene, as the culprit of the pandemic, the solution is the same. Engage our higher selves, our connected selves. If we practice holding space for the healing of the world, we can expedite the end of the pandemic.

We’ve been in the thick of this pandemic for over a month. We are going to hear more negative outcomes before life improves much. We have to be more resilient than the trouble this brings to our ears.

How to Shine Light on the World

Someone, the majority of us, has to hold up the light. Hold it high so that those who are walking through this darkness can see the way. We won’t find our way if we are all walking with our heads down, counting dead bodies, or watching to see who’s not wearing a mask.

An essential act in shining light on the world is to isolate from the darkness. Move away from spaces with heavy energy. Resolve disagreements peaceably. Try to redirect or escape from complaint sessions. Look for laughter and creativity.

The point is not to judge people for how they participate. The goal is to take responsibility for how you participate.

Give little attention to social media and news, that report negativity. Look to be informed, but not information that just stirs the pot. No solutions are offered, and no healthy dialogue occurs. Just scroll by as you state a mantra. “Light and love to the world.”

The point is not to judge people for how they participate. The goal is to take responsibility for how you participate. Don’t get trapped in the spider’s web. You don’t have to comment or react.

Your relationship to the person doesn’t matter. You are isolating yourself from that which represents the darkness, not the person. When the person joins the light, engage them then.

Use your art

Use your art to bring light to the world. If you are a writer, write words of encouragement and inspiration rather than fear. Musicians can create healing sounds; painters paint images of light; dancers dance to generate healing vibrations. All artists can be intentional in how and what they create right now. Express yourself from a place of purification.

Meditation, yoga, and qi gong are also arts, as well as traditional martial arts. Any movement that connects the body and mind can be art if the practitioner sets their intention that way. Honor the imperfect perfections within your practice. Practice with stillness as you move through the motions. Hold space in the silence to lift the world.

One for All

Anyone can hold space for the healing of the world. You don’t need to be in any special place in your life. There is no specific action that you absolutely must do. You can hold space for one minute a day, one hour, or commit your life to hold space.

Everyone has a space of purity within them that they can access, even if only for a minute at a time. You just have to consciously choose that minute to be the minute that you are holding space for the healing of the world. Some people can only access that space before falling off to sleep or upon waking. That’s enough.

Detach from the chaos

Meanwhile, practice warm detachment from the current chaos. Instead of following the emotions of the person telling the story, hold space for them. You don’t have to mirror emotions to show that you care about people. You can let them know that you are holding space for them, but you don’t even have to do that. Just hold space.

The more you consciously choose your thoughts and actions, the more you will be able to hold space for healing the world. But, don’t torture yourself trying to be conscious. Just notice when you are choosing your thoughts and actions and when they are choosing you.

A space of my own

I’m in the process of buying a car. I have not been able to hold space while I’m talking to car salespeople. Before I know it, my voice is raised, anxiety is setting in, and I’m trying to “win.” There are other times I have difficulty holding space as well. Bedtime still greets me with trepidation. I don’t make any effort to change these moments. I just watch them.

These moments are not me, and I am not these moments. I’m OK with allowing all outcomes, feelings, and predicaments that arise. I also recognize the more enormous potential in the moments that I consciously choose.

Becoming One in a Million

Millions of people are already holding space, as our ancestors have done in their times of adversity. We offer compassion, not pity. We nurture our authenticity, not our fear. We release hope, not rage. We power up resilience and put away our pride. We are not healers. We hold space for the world to heal itself.

No one will be without some level of grief or loss before the pandemic is over. We will all have our turn to cry and mourn. But, we don’t have to live in that space before our time. The mind-body-spirit connection of consciousness can limit the amount of time we spend in the darkness. Collectively, we can limit the amount of time the world spends in darkness.

References

Ang, A. (2020). 4 Self-care tips for better mental health at home. Illumination on Medium. https://readmedium.com/4-self-care-tips-for-better-mental-health-at-home-387c6b2a1ad3.

Bakari, R. (2020). Which meditation is right for you? The Ascent on medium. https://readmedium.com/which-meditation-is-right-for-you-4a82754b3ad5.