A New Dawn
By Cara Chang Mutert
It’s been almost a month since we closed our doors due to the virus.
Sounds like the first page of a science fiction novel. But the surreal has turned into the real. We have embarked on an extended journey into the unknown.
Everything feels askew. Hugs among family and friends are no longer allowed. Face masks and bandanas at the store have become the norm. Coughs and sneezes are the latest trigger for shaming and alienation.
Everyone’s hair is growing out, and few of us are bothering to put makeup on anymore. If this continues, men will be flicking their grown-out feathery locks like back in the 70’s, and we will be finding a way to make gray hair the newest style craze.
But in all seriousness, the weight of the unbelievable loss of life has been devastating, terrifying and heartbreaking. The fear has been crippling. The isolation painful. The anxiety more palpable than ever.
As difficult as so many moments during this unprecedented time have been, there have been some bright spots. When you look close enough, you can see goodness amid the despair, light through the darkness, and even catch a sparkle out of the dinge.
Although having the undivided attention of the 3-5 people in your life you love most can at times fray the nerves, there has been in fact, more quality time. More time for walks. More time for meals made with love and attention. More time for quiet. More time for realizing how much others mean to you. More time for deeper connection. It has offered us a time to slow down. To pause and observe. To breathe. To enjoy and really appreciate what is.
Now that we literally have been told we do not know what tomorrow holds, there may not have been a better time in recent history that has allowed us to really live in the moment. It’s what we’ve been yearning, and perhaps in some way what we’ve all needed. To spend more time with family and enjoy the simpler things in life. To support others who need it and feel the support from others who care. To get out in nature and breathe fresh air.
To experience life in a slo-mo is different, but maybe not such a bad thing. Like during our yoga practice, we have an opportunity in this moment to experience the micro-movements of life, the small details we may not have noticed, to feel the minute shifts that we ordinarily wouldn’t have recognized. And while there will always be twinges of discomfort, a resistance to staying with it, like after a good yoga practice, maybe a feeling of renewal will result. Just maybe, we will all arise with a deeper understanding of ourselves, each other, the world, and what really matters most in our lives.