March 2020, part 2: Continuity and Change

Well, I'm in a much better mood than last week. I’d even say I’m in a good mood. Hooray! But… I am on Day 6 of 10 of a major cleanse/detox (the Purium 10-Day one), and so I have limited brain power today.

Therefore, I am choosing to share another old blog post here, the one that came next when I was feeling so good and blogging about it back in March… This one is from March 27, 2020.

I hope you enjoy it.

Here it is:


The Importance of Continuity, Especially When Things Change...

One reason I've been feeling so good is because of establishing a sense of continuity and normalcy in my routine--as much as possible. And the biggest example of that in my life is that as soon as I found out my in-person classes were cancelled, I moved forward with setting up online classes for Sheng Zhen meditation and qigong.

There are many things we cannot change or control. But this was something I could do to create a sense of continuity and normalcy both for myself and for my regular students. And I knew that would be just as good for our physical and mental health as the practices themselves.

So, after getting the email about class cancellations on a Thursday night, 12 hours after having just taught a class, I emailed some of my students to say stay tuned. And the next day I set up the online classes. I didn't wait for permission. I didn't wait for where I usually teach to come up with an online plan. I knew that on Tuesday I would still be teaching. And I'd teach every Tuesday and Thursday no matter what.

I felt proactive. Of service. And crystal clear.

In addition to it being my joy, I knew, without a doubt, that my regular students would want this. And I knew others would benefit from it too, so I put the word out to the general public.

And it's been amazing. The place I usually teach at on Tuesdays and Thursdays even got their own online plan together and so now even more people are showing up via Zoom!

And students are sharing about how it makes them smile, brings calm, and just how helpful it is now. For my regular students, I'm sure part of the benefit is that sense of continuity, and even "normalcy" even though we're online rather than in person.

So back to that idea of continuity and normalcy in times of big changes and uncertainty....

Like I said above, it's helpful for our health. Especially our mental health. We can't control everything, but there are some things we can control. There are still ways in which we can exercise choice in a way that serves us best.

The truth is, for me, life isn't all that much different because, in addition to being a homebody, I mostly work from home anyway. But the other day while walking my dog, I was thinking that if I were somebody who commuted each day, not just twice a week, this whole "stay at home" thing would probably feel hard and strange.

So, here are some ideas if you're struggling with staying home, especially if you used to work away from home:

1) If you normally commute, consider taking a drive if you have a car, even just a short one during at least one of the times that you're usually on the road. Or go for a walk or bike ride at that time. Or go out into your yard if you have one.

2) As much as possible, maintain the same kind of schedule you had before. If your kids are home, too, maybe this is not fully possible, but hopefully at least somewhat possible. Or maybe you adapt your schedule so that you can fit in some of your "normal" activities before the kids get up or after they go to sleep?

3) If you're not already participating in online group activities (ie meetings, dances, my classes, etc.), consider participating in some group online activities--especially at the times that you used to, before things changed. For example, if you used to attend yoga classes, find a yoga class online, or just practice on your own at that time. Or if you always went out for dinner or a movie or a walk with a certain friend or group of friends, set up some sort of virtual hang out. And if you don't like the group idea? Video call a friend or family member. Reach out. Find ways to connect and interact with others.

I'm going to just leave you with that. I might have some other ideas, but I also am considering rewriting and expanding this to submit to an online journal, in which case it's best not to write it all here first! ;-)

Just get creative. This is a great time to learn how to adapt and think outside the box. It's also a great time to slow down and do some self-reflecting. And it's also a great time to feel your feelings. It's okay if you're feeling sad, scared, anxious, bored, lonely, frustrated, etcetera. I just don't want you to get stuck in those emotions.

And I'm here if you need some support.


So interesting reading that 9 months later! Still applies, right?

I think so. And so that’s all for now other than this note about the final sentence of that blog:

NOTE: I’m actually going into what I call “December hibernation mode” now, so in terms of being here if you need some support, that’s a bit limited through the end of the year. I am teaching morning online classes you can join, other than the final week of December. And you can always receive support from me through my books and my YouTube channel, videos for supporters on my ko-fi page, and my blog. For anything more than that, feel free to email me, and just know that I’ll get back to you in January.

March 2020 ~ When I Was Happy

Today is December 9, 2020. I am in a bad mood. I don’t feel like blogging, but I am experimenting with being consistent, and it’s Wednesday, so today’s the day for this week’s blog post.

But I don’t want to write. So I took a look at my old website, with my old blog, to see if there’s a post from that I can just share here. And I stumbled upon a couple of posts from March 2020, when I was feeling so good. When I was feeling so good that I felt compelled to blog about it being okay to be okay in the midst of a pandemic— back when it was just getting started…


On March 19, 2020, I published this blog called “It’s Okay.” And it went like this:

IT’S OKAY TO BE HAPPY.
I’ve been feeling pretty fantastic lately, which feels even more amazing because it almost seems as if I’m not supposed to be happy right now. But I am. And that’s okay. You can be happy too. We don’t have to let what’s going on in the world right now take over. We do need to take certain precautions, care for ourselves and others, and respect the current public health and safety recommendations. But we can still feel happy while doing that. It’s possible.

IT’S OKAY TO FEEL SAD.
Maybe you don’t feel happy. Maybe you feel sad, freaked out, stressed out, depressed. Maybe on the outside you look fine but inside you’re a mess. And maybe my happiness even bothers you. That’s okay. Just know that I also felt sad, freaked out, stressed out at times, but then something shifted. I mostly feel good. But yesterday I had a moment of sadness, when I had to ask some woman not to pet my dog. There are ups and downs. There always are.

JUST FEEL WHAT YOU’RE FEELING.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling good right now. There’s nothing wrong with feeling bad right now. There’s nothing wrong with being all over the map. So just let yourself be. Let yourself feel. And let others feel what they’re feeling too.

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
My heart goes out to those who are struggling. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. We need to take this seriously, but also welcome levity.

Although I have been feeling pretty fantastic lately, there are some things that freak me out and stress me out a bit about what’s happening in the world right now. But I’m not going to get stuck in my thoughts about that.

I’m not going to dim my light or hold back my tears. I’m going to feel it all and keep shining bright in the face of my fears.

Even when I feel down, dark, sad, frustrated, scared, and confused, deep down inside, I know all will be well. Thanks to my Sheng Zhen practice and other spiritual practices and beliefs, I feel rooted in the bliss at my core and know this current situation will pass.

And I have faith in humanity. We can learn from this. We can grow from this. It may not be easy. It may be uncomfortable. But we are resilient and intelligent beings. We are creative, too.

So, yes, feel your feelings and know it’s okay to not feel good right now. But also consider getting creative. What can you do to feel a little better when feeling blue? Maybe giving yourself permission to cry is what you need. Maybe going for a walk and feeling the sun and/or breeze against your skin. Maybe painting or drawing, writing, or cooking. Pulling weeds. Making a video. Playing a song. Dancing. Daydreaming. Meditating. Moving… What is it that you need when you’re feeling down? Sometimes it’s to just simply be right where you are, feeling stuck in those feelings, but sometimes it’s to move through them to move out of them. So, ask yourself, and be honest: what do you need to feel your best right now, even if it’s not going to be a sparkly happy kind of “best”?

If your answer is something you can do, then do it. If it's something like "a hug" but you're alone, well... I am considering creating a guided meditation/visualization for helping your body feel like it's receiving a warm embrace! But until then, just try imagining it on your own or let the earth hug you by lying down on the grass somewhere or even just your floor. This is just one example of something you might need in the moment when you ask yourself what you need--an example I use because "a hug" is often what I need! But I am a pro at finding other ways to get this need met when a hug can't be found. So stay tuned for more on that. Yes, I think a guided meditation or video is about to get added to my "ta da" list!

Until then, breathe deep. Feel your feelings. Stay healthy. Be well!


As I read this today, on a day that I’m not feeling happy—and barely even feeling “just okay”—I feel a mixture of feelings in response to the March 2020 me who wrote this. I feel impressed and grateful, but also some sorrow. The IT’S OKAY TO FEEL SAD part made me start to cry. I want to feel happy again. I want to feel energized. I want to feel like I can be a beacon of light for others. But today I just don’t feel any of that. I feel blah. I feel worse than blah. And that’s okay.

It’s okay to feel okay. It’s okay to feel not so okay. And I know how I feel will change. Whether it changes tomorrow or today, or another day, I always feel better , at some point, after feeling bad. Don’t you? I think it’s hard to remember that sometimes. It can be easy to forget. Although it’s easier for me to remember because of my Sheng Zhen practice and how it’s made me more aware of and connected to my “bliss at the core.” So I just always know, deep down, no matter how crappy I feel right now, it will pass. And all is well.

…But, to be totally honest, some days are harder than others, and that knowing feels far away, feels quiet. Sometimes I start to doubt, start to wonder… Will I feel better? What if I don’t? But then I remind myself that I felt great just the other day, and I always have felt better, after feeling bad, in the past, and so, surely, I will again. Right??….

And although I haven’t created a guided visualization/meditation for a virtual hug, I did create this hug video. Maybe I just need a hug. So I’m going to go watch my own video and take my own advice.

Speaking of taking my own advice, maybe now is a good time to read my 9 Tips for Tough Times? If you don’t already have it, you can get it here.