Strange times are feeling normal, and regardless of so many challenges, there’s beauty in the simplicity of life right now.

I’ve gotten used to my world being limited and small: Sticking to seeing my family, and a few close friends.

My daughter Diana calls it our “Rona Bubble.”

I’ve been staying home most days, finding support in my studies, nature, practice, and you – my beloved students!

Today I want to share the 3 biggest lessons I’ve learned – and am still learning – through the pandemic…

 

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1. All of my practices lead me away from extremes and toward a place of equanimity – the middle road.

Through movement and breath, I have the ability to support my health by nourishing my body and balancing my mind.

My heart and spirit feel refreshed and at peace.

Seeking the middle road means I am not pushing toward extremes, nor neglecting my body and mind.

My intention is to build up my inner resources during this time, rather than deplete them. Sometimes that means doing nothing, other times it means adding in an extra breathwork practice.

It’s so easy to feel like we’re not doing enough, with so much time on our hands. To feel like we should be pushing harder, or trying to achieve more.

But there is so much energy we’re navigating right now. It’s normal to feel tired, like you just can’t do as much.

I’m learning I can work toward goals that give me greater clarity, with lots of compassion for myself.

I’ve been allowing myself to slow down, and embrace the fact that equanimity and balance support us in the long run.

 

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2. The second thing I’ve learned is my deep connection with and respect for nature, and my own body.

Nature is the best reminder of life’s constant changes and variability.

I’ve been fortunate enough to walk miles of paths in the woods, swim in the refreshing water of the lake, watch the mushrooms populate on my tree, and feel the enormous energy of standing in an old-growth Hemlock forest.

I’m realizing my elemental make-up is reflected in everything outside of me. We’re not separate from nature – it resides within us.

I am the groundedness of earth, the soft flow of water, the warmth of fire, the strength of wood, and the keenness of metal – and so are you.

All five elements, in one.

More than ever, I feel a sense of wholeness and connection to the natural world – and a deep sense of ease in myself.

In nature there is beauty. There is wonder. There is wrath. There is destruction. The yin grows from the yang, and the two cannot exist without each other.

 

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3. Perhaps the most important thing I’m learning is that we’re all part of something bigger than ourselves.

The higher collective, the web that unites us all, is always changing and growing – fluid like water.

We are all connected, to each other and nature. We share this web of life.

We’re still in the midst of this, and learning our divine lessons. We’re never done learning, and what a gift that is.

 

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I find myself asking…

Can we acknowledge and then let go of fear, and remember that we’re not going to fall out of the universe?

Can we give ourselves the gift of effortless effort, and feel a sense of flow and deep connection, with ourselves, nature, and others?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, and the top 3 lessons you’ve learned during the pandemic, in the comments below.

I’m so excited to get back to my fall class schedule, and connect with you more often.

See you soon!

Much love,
Michele