Before all of our worlds were shifted by the pandemic, the American Psychology Association conducted a study on stress in America and the findings were shocking. As much as two thirds of Americans considered themselves stressed out. Money, their future, violence, work and politics were all noted as sources of stress. Now, after the pandemic came through and shifted our lives, all of these issues are only even more compounded. Those with children, who perhaps were worried about school shootings just a few months ago, are now worried about sending their students back to in person school where they run the risk of being exposed to coronavirus. They also are worried about keeping the kids at home where homeschooling just might not be an option or has already proven to not be an effective way to teach their children.
Workplaces are also feeling the push. We all scrambled at the beginning of quarantine to prove that we could still work in whatever conditions just out of fear not to lose our jobs and income, but now the fatigue of juggling so many tasks remotely and with the distractions of home are starting to weigh us down. Fatigue is just settling in. We are tired. Tired of trying to put on a bright face as months dredge on of pandemic with no clear end in sight. We are scared. Scared of what the future holds at almost every level of our lives. And some of us are mourning. Mourning the loss of a loved one or even just the loss of a life we once knew. For those families personally affected by the virus there is an added level of sadness and stress is a final pressure on an already tense situation. This is not a normal stress or normal mental exhaustion, it is much more. How can we even combat these new strange and stronger emotions we are experiencing? The answer lies with the same tools we use to combat stress and anxiety in our lives pre-covid, with mindfulness and meditation.
Before we begin, I feel like I need to make this disclaimer. With the added stress we are feeling you may find that different aspects of this meditation harder than others. For me, the hardest thing is getting started. I find myself knowing what I need to do but just staring off or mindlessly, checking email and texts as a way to delay beginning tasks as of late. It is an obvious procrastination, that only makes me feel worse as I see the time passing and I am no closer to completing my goals. This leads to even more procrastination till it is late at night and I have little to show for the day. For you, it could be any aspect of the meditation that will suddenly be harder, or perhaps you will have no change at all. The important thing to remember here is to be patient and loving with yourself. Allow yourself extra time, even allow yourself to fail a few times. With patience and diligence you will be able to enter a mindful state.
Now to get to the meditation exercise. Find a comfortable place where you will be free from distraction. You can shut your eyes or stare at a plain surface. When you are ready, begin with your breath. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. With each breath, feel the air move through your body, filling your lungs, expanding your chest, feel your blood move towards your heart to receive the oxygen. With each exhale, feel the body drop, your ribs come down and the carbon dioxide slipping out of your body. After several breaths like this bring your focus to your hands. Let your hands face each other, palms towards each other but with space between them in your lap. As you continue with your breathing, visualize a glowing ball of golden energy form between your hands. Each breath enriches the ball until it is so bright and full of energy it starts to float above your hands. You can control this ball, it is your own energy.
Bring this ball of light to your head and let it radiate healing energy into your forehead. Feel your head grow warm with the energy, feel the excitement as your mood raises. Now let the ball float to your chest. As you breathe in let your heart fill with the glowing light and exhale out the dim light inside. When you feel ready to move on let the ball float to your abdomen and allow for the golden light to flow into you. Take as much time as you need at each place of your body and repeat areas as you see fit. When you are ready it is time to let the energy be reabsorbed into your body. Now let the ball return to your parted hands, it still glows, but perhaps it is smaller now after replenishing your energy field. Take one deep breath in and let the energy suck back in through your palms. Feel the light flow up your arms and through your bloodstream, circulating through your whole body. See your whole body glow with an inner peace and calm. When you are ready, open your eyes and slowly blink. Stretch your neck, wiggle your toes and fingers and let yourself feel your body. You are here now and you are exactly where you need to be. Nothing has gone wrong, fate has not forsaken you. You are who and where you must be in order to fulfill your life goals. Reach out to us at info@bullionite.com with your comments or questions.