Instill Mindfulness is a meditation center located in Franklin County, near Roanoke, VA. I’ve taught there before and they have a great program.
Jamie published some great recommendations on managing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic with mindfulness.
- Sit with your fear. The act of noticing and acknowledging your feelings changes them. If you can sit with uncomfortable feelings, they will eventually lessen or even disappear. It doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. But it can help you let them go for the moment.
- Let yourself be bored. We are so used to distracting ourselves with our phones, TV, calling friends, texting, going somewhere, spending money. In this situation, we can’t just leave the house to find entertainment. Be still and find out what’s behind your boredom. (And then entertain yourself.)
- Develop some relationships. Like I said yesterday, we might be physically separated, but we can deepen our relationships. There’s the phone, zoom, skype, email, and maybe some of you will actually write a letter!
- Get outside. The sun is a great healer. We need the vitamin D. Fresh air will do you good, too! We might not be able to gather, but we can go outside. And if you have a garden, tend to it. Get in touch with nature! As it gets warmer, go barefoot in the grass to get grounded.
- Greet safely. If you do go out, please remember not to shake hands or hug so you don’t possibly transmit the virus. Instill Mindfulness recommends the traditional Indian (as in from India) greeting. They bow slightly with hands in prayer position and say, Namaste. “This translates, essentially, to may the divine in me see the divine in you. If you like, you can abbreviate this to no mistake. At InStill, we feel this is one piece of cultural appropriation we can get behind in these no-touch times.”
- Do something you love. Take time to do something you love that you normally don’t make time for. Work with your hands. Get creative. Do something analog (away from technology).
- (Not) touching your face. Practice not touching your face by noticing why you want to touch your face when you reach up.
- Experience your hands. Be mindful about how you use your hands. Notice how they feel and move. Notice how you use them and gain a greater appreciation for what they do for you. Today’s meditation for Patreon supporters at $10 and up is a meditation on our hands.
- Find factual info. With so many places to get information and so many sources of DISinformation, Instill Mindfulness recommends the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control because they specialize in crises like these.
Please check out their full article for some great info and recommendations here.
What are you doing to be more mindful during this time?
Excellent advice–thanks Sacil!
🙂 Thank you. This is adapted from InStill Mindfulness, so the thanks is really to them. I just wanted to share.