It’s been more than two months since the unordinary is the new norm, and now that is shifting again with the emergency declaration being lifted here in Japan. Some of you may be feeling a sense of relief, while others of you may be feeling another jolt as things change again. If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that EVERYTHING CHANGES. It’s always been that way, but this pandemic has really awakened us to this truth.
That having been said, there are things that don’t change. One of that is the place of witness consciousness, or simply, returning to this present moment to notice what’s going on within. For example, you may have had an experience where you just can’t focus during your yoga practice, and meditation simply opens up more thoughts that keep coming. This is where you’re completely consumed in what’s happening within, without being able to come back to the witness consciousness. It’s like floating in the river, taken over by the current and whatever else that comes, and feeling frantic. But when you have a place to come back to, where you can notice what’s happening with compassionate observation, it’s like you’re in a boat, on the same river, still floating down, but able to see the scenery, or notice the fish that’s jumping out of the water.
As life begins to change again, it’s really helpful to have this place to come back to. It’s not hard to practice either, because it really only takes 30 seconds. It might mean that when you start commuting by train again, when you get on, taking a few deep breaths and noticing what you’re feeling. There’s no judgment there, simply acknowledgement for perhaps a sense of weariness, or joy that you can see people again, or nothing at all. When this becomes a regular practice, it’s much easier to know what you truly want, so that you can make decisions that are nourishing and caring for yourself and others. Life is always changing. Here we go into another flow, and may we float onward with love and grace.