co·ro·na1/kəˈrōnə/noun
1.ASTRONOMY the rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars. The sun’s corona is normally visible only during a total solar eclipse, when it is seen as an irregularly shaped pearly glow surrounding the darkened disk of the moon.
I spend much of my time in my neighbourhood. When I’m not writing in my home studio, I’m walking outdoors, picking up a few groceries or an elixir at The Light Cellar.
So I was surprised when I headed to an appointment across town and was met in the reception area by several postings of this:
When I sat down with my physical therapist, she mentioned how wrapped up in worry she was over the virus. She couldn’t stop scrolling newsfeeds about it and it was all she could think about. I had no idea we were at this place again. It was reminiscent of H1N1 ten years earlier.
I told her worry would do nothing for her. I shared my story of H1N1 and offered her what I could. I suggested 2 practices to hopefully alleviate some of her struggle.
1. Turn off the media stream and write down your fears.
What exactly are you worried about? Get them out of your head and onto the page. Acknowledge them. Then place them in the garbage or recycling bin.
2. Identify what you CAN do.
Aside from the list in the graphic above, how about put your body (and mind) in a rested, healthy state. Feed your body and your immune system nourishing food: there are a whole host of adaptogens and herbs that benefit the immune system. Look into mushrooms such as reishi, chaga, cordyceps, lion’s mane or turkey tail. Add nutritional supplements to a nourishing diet.
And nourish the mind: watch uplifting programming, meditate, practice yoga, tai chi or qigong online rather than scrolling news feeds. Get plenty of sleep and spend time in nature each day. Draw, colour, listen to great music and read inspiring books.
H1N1 hit during my year in yoga. My struggle with it appears in An Accidental Awakening:
“The lab confirmed it: H1N1.” My friend was the first case that became personal for me. This strain of influenza proved real. What became interesting to me was, the more I watched, talked about and read about it, the worse I felt: fear, frustration, helplessness, the victim, paralyzed…
The phrase energy flows where attention goes played in my head. I saw how the media frenzy, the intense energy of the community, the city, the province, the country, the world even, affected my energy. I also saw how, when I made a choice to remove myself and go within, I shed the effects and returned to a more balanced state. I focused on the best course of action for my family.
Pearly glow or darkened disk? Both exist. It’s your choice which of the two you focus your energy on.
Like an eclipse, the Coronavirus will come and go. How will you weather its passing?
May we heal from our experiences. May we be kind to one another. May suffering cease. And may all beings benefit.
Be well.
Stephanie Hrehirchuk - Author 