| So much has changed over the last few months, and yet so much is still the same. Dealing with COVID 19 has presented unprecedented challenges to the entire world, and many may say that the world will never be the same. This can be a fear inducing time, but it can also be a time of renewal and introspection. For me, the challenges brought on by this pandemic have been an ironic opportunity. While the chaos has ramped up, I have found myself reflecting more deeply on both the challenges we are facing and the opportunity those challenges provide us.
Everyday at the ranch, I walk in nature and feel like I am in a living painting. With Spring coming into full force, you get to feel and see every stroke of the brush. This is a time to stop and smell the roses. With the isolation due to the pandemic, I find I have more time to look inward because there are less distractions. At the same time I am acutely aware of what I am feeling and what my body is going through. I recently got back from Poland where I learned about the Wim Hof method, a practice that teaches you how to control your immune system through breathing and cold exposure. I am connecting better with this practice. The practice is helping me be more sensitive to my body, and the self-isolation offers me the opportunity to feel more immediate progress in my practice.
Whatever your practice, this time of introspection can be a powerful way to advance and improve. Wether you are cooking a beautiful meal, exercising, gardening on your patio, or playing with the dog, the chaos outside can give us an opportunity to practice life more mindfully. After all, there is not much difference between this Spring and any other Spring. But, as Jack Kornfield has said, this Spring we have more time “…to let our spirit shine.”
I have complete confidence in humanity’s ability to learn, adapt and overcome. We are in a time of challenge and difficulty. We have faced many such times in our histories and have become stronger because of them. We can do the same this time. |
