A Time to Embrace the Uncertainty of Life in this Time of COVID-19

“Rather than be disheartened by the uncertainty of life, what if we accepted it and relaxed into it? What if we said “Yes, this is the way it is; this is what it means to be human,” and decided to sit down and enjoy the ride?” ~Pema Chodron

Namaste everyone,

I write to you this evening with my hands in prayer - in humility, gratitude, remembrance and love in these trying times of COVID-19.

I know that for many of you, myself included, the world around us seems to have drastically changed these past few weeks from a place of security and safety to one that is completely unrecognizable. It has been overwhelming to be able to navigate the challenges that have been presented before us - emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Please know that at these most challenging times of adversity in our lives, there is a path forward towards the light. I believe that this path is lit by the wisdom, strength and resilience of our heart to refuse to close down from that which is unimpeachable - our inner and divine essence of Self. In this place, resides the essence of pure love. This is the place that we can and must return to where we are able to re-claim our sense of groundedness when the earth around us begins to fall away.

At the centre of the hurricane, the chaos, we find the calming eye of the storm. Close your eyes and imagine you are seated at the eye of the hurricane that may be raging around you in your own life. Take a deep breath in from your belly all the way up through the crown of your head. And then exhale out of your mouth all of the worry, anxiety and suffering that you have endured this past hour, this past day, perhaps even this past week. Feel yourself grounded in your seat and that you feel the roots of your physical body growing into and finding communion with the earth beneath you. Cherish this sweet nectar of the moment you find yourself in at this exact moment.

This is an act of love and remembrance. A return to your inner essence of Self. This gift of present-moment awareness, of loving-kindness, of consciousness, is available to each and everyone of us if we choose to open our heart to it. This is the promise of mindfulness that each of us - now more than ever - can experience should we choose this path amidst the ebb and flow of these unprecedented times.

I leave you this evening with the following lyrics from Jon Bryant’s “Wilderness” that has resonated with me these past days as I, like you, continue to navigate these times of adversity and uncertainty.

“Wilderness”, by Jon Brant

Oh, the moment that
My eyes fell on you
I asked my heart to stop
Giving in too soon

And, oh, the moment that
I first heard your voice
It was the perfect pitch
In a world of noise

Stay with me tonight
Let your senses lose this fight
In the open wilderness of love

Let me show you how
You should never be without
So lay your weary hand on mine
And I'll show you who this heart beats for

Oh, the moment that
You first graced my hand
Oh, I felt the tides
Push my heart to land

So stay with me tonight
Let your senses lose this fight
In the open wilderness of love

Let me show you how
You should never be without
So lay your weary hands on mine
And I'll show you who this heart beats for

Oh, the moment that
You let me kiss your face
You burned in my soul
Never to replace

Let me show you how
You should never be without
So lay your weary hands on mine
And I'll show you who this heart beats for

May you be blessed and protected by the lamp and light of mindfulness in this time of COVID. May you know that your inner light of Self will never extinguish. May you be blessed with abundant love, happiness, and hope, this day and every day.

Namaste,

Alex