Surviving and Thriving in a Global Pandemic

I am currently being gifted with a lot of time to ponder life, to channel yogic wisdom from my years of study and application, to tap into spirit, to tap into divine inspiration, to think about why we are here on Earth as a collective, to figure out what I can do to help support global health and I am being moved by Spirit to write about all this stuff and share it with whoever will take the time to read it, to listen, to tune in. There are lots of physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of yoga ranging from anxiety management, stress relief, pain management, regulation of the nervous system, heart health, lung health, spinal health, digestive health, overall vitality and feeling in connection with The Highest Self…we do know by this point that yoga isn’t just about the poses and what they look like right? I also know some stuff about how the mind works according to yoga philosophy and how we each have these things called the “hindrances of the mind.” I’ve learned about how those hindrances affect us as individuals and my writing will go into this stuff and much more if you keep reading...

The most powerful benefits Yoga has taught me in my 18 years of learning about it (and it teaches me something new each and every single day), tools which I have used to survive the turbulent tides of transformation that life brings- is the power behind slowing down the thinking mind, finding presence in the moment through connection to breath, balancing the energy within myself by moving my body, eating nourishing food, understanding my mind and how it works, witnessing my thoughts- the patterns within my mind due to my human experience, not getting entangled in the chaos of the mind, remembering that I am an integrated being with many levels and remembering how to connect with the only unchanging stationary part in me, the part in me that is connected to everything in nature, the part in me that is connected to you- my spirit, my safe home inside, like I’m a little turtle chilling in my shell. No matter what storm comes a knocking- my house is sturdy, and I am not disturbed.

We are in a time of global transformation friends- my life individual experience/your life individual experience is living proof of how humans adapt to survive and thrive during times when the external world shifts around us in huge ways. Throughout all of human existence humanity has evolved. Think about the evolution of the mind, the logical mind- science, medicine. The emotional mind- understanding in psychology, ethics. The shifting of belief systems, the variety of the individual expression of each human being in race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, family dynamics, languages we speak, education level, location born on this planet… you name it… we are each one of us unique… In this uniqueness we have gotten lost and mistakenly identify with these differences as “bad” or “superior” or “inferior.” We have disconnected from one another due to these physical differences, we have disconnected from the life force that flows through all of us, we have disconnected from the thing that unites us all. We have built up walls between ourselves by falling into belief patterns about the physical world that lead us to think differences are “bad” and that there is some “normal” state, “normal” human, “correct” way to live, “correct” religion to have, “correct” appearance in a physical body to have… We have forgotten what truly matters- and that is the survival of the species as a whole and the survival of Earth. Earth and nature are huge forces around us- we can’t control that shit. We can, however, learn to adapt. Look how many of us are now being pushed to learn technology, how many of us are being forced to change and grow daily. Many of us humans have gotten lost in, what yoga philosophy calls, the hindrances of the mind.

Yoga philosophy teaches about the following hindrances of the mind or kelshas:

Illusion- the mind is stuck in the belief that the physical world is unchanging.

Ego- the mind is stuck in its individual need to control and be right, the part of the mind that forgets its divine connection to all natural born things/beings in the universe, the part of the mind that we mistakenly identify with as who we really are.

Attachment- the mind saying: I want things to be this certain rigid way because I want things to be this way because this is how it has always been and I don’t want it to change because it will be scary if it changes.

Aversion- our mind saying: I don’t want to listen to that information because it doesn’t match my belief system laid out in my logical mind, which I believe is permanent and fixed (but in reality the logical mind is not fixed- it is always changing, shifting, growing, evolving)

Fear- The mind saying: I’m scared of change, of being wrong, of not having what I need, of dying.

Start to ponder the reason behind existence. Get into philosophy, spiritual wisdom, connect energetically with spiritual leaders/enlightened beings who have passed- Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., that list is very long…. What teachings resonate with you? Where you put here on Earth to make money? Were you put here to provide for everyone else around you except for yourself? Where you put here to be so fucking exhausted all the time that you just veg out like a zombie, drink , smoke, eat, watch tv, whatever your vice- just to escape the moment, just to escape the emotional mind, just to escape the heaviness of the world, just to escape your past, just to escape your fear about the future? Were you put here to perform like a cog in a machine without a soul? Or were you put here to become a master of your mind? Where to put here to remember what is important in life? Where you put here to thrive, survive, create, love, find joy, find connection? Where you put here to choose what you listen to, who you trust, who you surround yourself, what information you take in, how you choose to contribute to the world and it’s survival? Where you sent here to find your passion, to break down walls, to change the world? I was. We all were. We are magical spiritual beings. Look at what is really happening here.

You might not know why you were put here- and that’s okay. And your reason for being here is different then my reason for being here- sweet- we can teach each other, we can help one another grow, we each have unique talents and contributions. Awesome. This is how it works- how magical is that? If you are being gifted with time right now to figure out your shit, to dig deep into your being- accept the divine invitation. Know that this is one of the scariest, most vulnerable, most mind blowing, most confusing, most uncomfortable, most liberating experiences I have ever had the pleasure of maneuvering through in my entire life. The experience of knowing The Self- the true self- it is a place which transcends all logic.

Take a moment to think about the emotional darkness we as a species have overcome, lessons we have learned as a whole, not the shitty shit in the ego thinking mind but the good shit in the spiritual evolution that has been taking place for a long time within many beings on Earth. Think about the wake up calls we have all received by watching the darkness in the world attempt to overtake the light. The resiliency we have built up through adversity/challenges. I have been connecting with people in the light and building up a spiritual community around myself over the past 18 years, it was a process and it didn’t happen overnight, I worked at it a lot. I actually didn’t even know what I was doing as I was doing it. I began tapping into some very powerful energy when I started practicing Yoga and over the past 2 years I have integrated many lessons through teaching yoga on a full time basis and studying to become a Yoga Therapist- I’ve been learning how to use Yoga as a tool for self-transformation, healing, and growth on all levels.

We are now all being invited by The Universe to awaken as a species. We are being pushed into spiritual evolution, enlightenment. I’ve transformed at different stages throughout my life. I am doing it currently moment by moment. We are all being asked to become more adaptable as things shift, fall away, move towards balance. This process is just that- a process. We have all been through these turbulent moments in our lives. What have you learned about yourself in those moments, what have you learned about life? Your loved ones have gone through fucked up shit too- the health battles, the heartbreaks, the losses, the grief, the sadness, the confusion…. We have all had dark times. We each have somehow kept bobbing back up to the surface of survival. If you are reading this right now- think about all that you have survived up until this point in your life. How do you believe you have done that? What kept you here specifically? What kept you alive? Was it money, greed, power, ego? Was it the ultimate search for freedom in your spirit, gratitude for the things you do have and the ways that the universe does support you, the deep abiding love of your soul tribe connections, family, friends, community members, the people that get you and see you for the amazing soul that you are? Was it the magical feeling you feel when you hear a child laugh, when you see a bomb ass sunrise/sunset, when you look at the stars shine in the night sky, when you see a rainbow, when you cuddle your pet, when you laugh your ass off?

Many times during my current lifetime I have said “With the way the world is right now, I will not choose to come back/reincarnate because this shit is fucked the fuck up, the system is broken, people aren’t grateful, money rules, spirit drools, etc, etc, etc- “ or something like that... I’ve personally had some dark times in my life where I considered ending my stay here because I was so lost. I wrote about this in my blog on March 22, 2020- titled Tap Into Spirit. Now I look out at the world and say to myself: “Holy shit, this is why I came here, this is why I went through so much fucked up shit since the age of 3- so that I could tell any humans that will listen that we can get through anything because we are resilient and strong beings, because we are connected to Spirit, because we are Divine. Some of us are stuck in the world of the ego- that is true. But you cannot control anyone else, what they do, how they respond to this global crisis- but you can control you- what you do, how you show up, how you respond to this, those you surround yourself with virtually, social media wise, news wise, source wise. Think about how you nourish yourself on all levels because in order to survive evolution we must be fit individually and collectively. Some of us will fall away and some of us will keep going on. This is life, death is a reality. I do not fear death because it is inevitable. I choose to show up and live my life, not in fear of dying but in gratitude for all of the cool shit I get to do while I’m here. Death doesn’t mean the end of the spirit part of us- we just turn into non-physical. We have the ability to connect to all past loved ones, spirit guides, angels, the planets, the stars- we are both physical and non-physical in our current forms…

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff”- Carl Sagan

If you do not believe in the divine thread of love, the facia of creation if you will- that thing that connects us all to everyone and everything in the universe, I invite you to read The Field by Lynne McTaggart. I read it years ago, it is about the zero point energy field, it’s scientific evidence of our connection to everyone and everything.

I am listening. I am tuned in. Something big is happening here, even bigger than our human logical mind can grasp.

We are being asked to collectively shift away from the logical mind and into the spirit- it’s a layer being peeled away by the Universe and we are being pushed forward in evolution my friends. Tune in, breathe in, breathe out, connect with the Earth below you, connect with the sky above you, connect to the water flowing through your veins, connect to the fire flowing through your energy centers. We are made up of the elements. Connect to those elements within yourself. There is no time like the current moment to jump into the flow, no time like the present to tune into a higher frequency, a higher plane of existence…

“If you wish to understand the universe, think of energy, frequency and vibration”- Nikola Tesla

According to Yoga philosophy and Ayurvedic philosophy we and everything in the Universe have the following energies within us: slow/low, active/high, balanced/pure. In a pure state we are in line with divine connection. Be quiet, go within, tune into the part in you that is connected to me, listen, it’s a very deep space, it’s a very high frequency- beyond everything in the physical/logical world- a subject addressed in the heart sutra mantra, information on that to follow.

In these times of global transformation, we need to tune into the physical world news from trusted sources to remain informed, to do our part, to support the medical system, the educational system, the health and welfare of the whole. We must balance this energy intake and not get lost on the chaos of fear/ego. Be wise. We also need to tune into ancient wisdom and spiritual guidance at this moment in time to benefit the highest good and humanity’s collective growth/evolution/survival. I will do my best to bring to you spiritual lessons gained from my studies of Yoga philosophy and spirituality over my lifetime. I will also use my life experiences to ground the information in a real-life example of the benefits of a spiritual path. Since I started tuning into spirit I have led a magical life filled with healing and synchronicities. I met the right people at the right time, I was placed in the right situations at the right time, I learned to sit in discomfort, I learned that I can’t control jack shit outside of myself, I learned to trust the process of life unfolding, I learned to hold things lightly, I learned to feel my emotions, I learned to cry, I learned to sit with fear, I learned that emotions pass if I let them, I learned to go with the flow, I learned to hear the voice of my Highest Self, I learned to remember my connection to all that is, I learned to talk with my spirit guides, I learned how to stay open to receiving divine guidance, I learned how to let go of things that didn’t resonate with my soul’s vibration, and I learned a lot about who I am and my purpose here on Earth.

Back in October 2019 I had a messenger exchange with a yoga teacher of mine Beth Filla. I had reached out to her to gain a deeper understanding of the heart sutra mantra: Gate, Gate, Paragate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha. Beth spoke of the fact that mantras are meant to take one beyond the mortal boundaries of thought and physicality. This can be a scary place for people because we are very stuck in the physical world and stuck in the belief that the physical world is unchanging- well guess what- the physical world changes all the fucking time and there ain’t a damn thing we can do about it. None of us can control the outside world, it is always shifting, changing, metamorphosizing. We can learn to go with the flow, ride the waves, trans mutate within our human skins individually and then collectively, release our attachments- or not and get stuck in the perpetual suffering that comes from attempting to grasp, hold, force, inflict some sort of ego rules/timelines/expectations/beliefs/judgements/ego led fear parades.

As I’ve been writing this installment of whatever the fuck this is- I have been listening to variations of Tibetan monks chanting The Heart Sutra Mantra. I’m tapping into a high spiritual frequency here.

Yoga philosophy says the only unchanging thing is the spirit. The following quote about the heart sutra mantra gained from: http://www.sanghalou.org/oldsitebackup/heart_suttra.htm “it explains the essence of Buddhism, which is KU, or Emptiness. The meaning is essentially that by letting go of your preconceived notions, opinions, and attachments, you can become open to all the wonders of our life. : Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha, English translation: Gone, Gone, Gone beyond Gone utterly beyond.” According to my teacher Beth Filla a mantra is meant to take you beyond your mortal boundaries- she said: “my understanding of this mantra is that all true understanding/awareness comes from approaching something with emptiness. If I can approach all things with the same level of openness/emptiness (as apposed to attraction/aversion, etc), then I’m really cookin. I’m AWAKE. I am making contact.” This is how you connect to the Divine. This is how you raise your vibration- by letting go of everything, by being curious, playful, by being in awe of nature… by living in the moment, by being grateful for being alive, by being an open channel.

If we can approach our lives, each moment, each situation, each breath, each experience- with emptiness- without preconceived notions, opinions, attachments- we can be in the flow of Spirit. Wow. This is no easy task we are invited to explore through life.

We weren’t given a guide book when we were born. We had to figure things out and we depended on our adults to show us the way. When we were innocent human children life was ingrained in us in ways that didn’t teach us about how to connect to the true source of all creation. Life told us that beauty is on the outside, that differences are bad, that money is king, that self-care is selfish, that there is something inherently wrong with us, that we should be scared of some omniscient higher power and that if we are “bad” we are going to burn in hell (well at least that is what I was taught when I was raised a Roman Catholic). I was raised in a fear and control mentality. Many of our adults were all stuck in those hindrances of their minds and many of them lacked the self-awareness of true growth through spiritual work, because when they were kids their adults were stuck in their hindrances, and so on. The result is that now we are living in a world that is ruled by unawakend people stuck in illusion, ego, attachment, aversion and fear. How has this worked out for us so far? How has this benefited our survival and evolution as a species?

Ancient wisdom, from enlightened spiritual beings, is handing to us on a silver platter tools to transcend and evolve. We cannot completely tune out of the physical world we are in- we need to stay informed, yes. We need to let the doctors and nurses do their thing. We need governments to stand up for the well-being of the people. We need to begin to unite consciously on a human spirit level. We need to stay connected energetically/emotionally/virtually to our soul tribes, families, friends. We need to set good examples for the children. We need to nourish the children and keep them safe. We need to set up this world with priorities that are really priorities. Healthcare, safe housing, a food system built to help us thrive, education about spirituality beyond religious dogma, education about the ability of the human body to heal itself, building a sustainable society and working in harmony with Earth, her resources and stop abusing our home planet. Earth will win the battle. Nature will win the battle. It’s time to get in line. We need to find balance within ourselves to help bring balance into the larger world around us. Afterall- we are all connected, if I change myself, I in turn change you in some way too, then you begin to attract others who are on a similar wave length to you and we begin to repel energy levels that no longer resonate with the “new beings” we are evolving into…We all are being asked to go within and do some work to get ourselves ready for the moment we have all been waiting for. We knew that there was something wrong with the system. We felt weighed down by it. Now it is beginning to crumble before our very eyes. Some scary shit is happening and about to happen. Some systems will fall away. These things will fall away so that we can rebuild a new more beautiful way of life. An evolved way of being. Each of us is being called to do something here in this transition. I am being called to my spirit, to write, to connect with my soul family, to practice yoga, to teach yoga philosophy, to take care of myself, to stay in my house unless absolutely necessary (like for food, medicine, sunshine) to pray, to meditate, to slow down, to listen. Each individual soul is being called to unite on a very powerful level. Imagine what would happen if each human on Earth at the same time tapped into their soul- like if each human on Earth sat in meditation with their breath and tuned into the present moment, tuned into the thing that connects us all to one another- what do you think might happen? I have no idea but it sounds magical.

Enjoy. Share. Tell me your thoughts.