Understanding the Coronavirus Pandemic from the Alternative Therapies Perspective
Uncertainty is an inevitable part of our lives. Our notion of infinite efficiency has effectively been challenged by the coronavirus epidemic. Every epidemic is different and general laws do not apply as they vary greatly from epidemic to epidemic. We now realize that our genetic makeup is not destiny, but controlled by several other factors. Our increasing dependence on technological innovations has both positive as well as negative ramifications; it has no doubt hindered our vast intellectual capacities. E.g., depending on GPS has restricted our spatial awareness intelligence. As evidenced throughout history; this unprecedented period also shall pass by unleashing our capacities to experiment, invent and innovate.
Besides following the government directives, WHO guidelines such as social distancing, isolation, quarantine and physical hygiene; it has become of paramount importance to have mental hygiene. While our general responses include fear, anxiety, and uncertainty; our identification with our egoic self needs to come into our heightened awareness. We are the habitats of viruses; but, we also have a choice to let it breed inside us by choosing negative emotions that suppress our immune system. We are now living in unprecedented times and are governed by extrinsic factors that we have no control of. We must strengthen our immune system; and remain exuberant, joyful enabling it to function at the highest level. Now, more so than ever, it has become important for us to utilize our time and attend what we expect of ourselves to do.
Our fears will consume us; they arise into thought forms and create emotions. The anxiety surfaces as this fear of being uncertain around the coronavirus increases. The need of the hour is to further our emotional health and mental wellness. Our fears when not controlled manifest into chronic stress; thus leading to complications such as increased blood pressure, rush in adrenaline levels, etc. Such a situation creates a state of panic, and unmanaged stress resorting us to indulge in mindless activities such as rushing for toilet paper, etc. Mental hygiene means quieten our mind by practicing alternative therapies involving breath work; as the breathing slows down; so does our thoughts. This self-regulation process creates homeostasis and enables us to be less prone to infections. Emotions are spreading like a contagion; while we stay home with our families, we increase our attention to deep listening, affection, and acceptance to a whole new level. We can quieten our mind by prayer, mantra chanting, breathing exercises and bring mindful awareness into observing thoughts, bodily sensations, and images in consciousness, perceptions, and feelings, etc. Mind emotions can also mess with us like viruses; thus, we remind ourselves that a deeper and higher dimension of consciousness is accessible to anyone. This is beyond our conceptual thinking mind.
We need to confront ourselves with the discomfort of uncertainty; those who have not trained their minds to react, panic, show aggression and suffer from indecision. The feelings of being overwhelmed around the coronavirus are tremendous; as our minds tend to take comfort in pre-existing ideas, it justifies the present state of mind which is chaotic. As our minds have no pre-existing script or adequate training around the coronavirus; we realize that we have all the faculties of mind to recognize our fears dispassionately and honor groundlessness. We have a choice to touch upon fearlessness that is deeper than our thoughts and the feeling of overwhelm. Alternative therapies such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Thought Field Therapy (TFT) through their set up statements bring up some pent up emotions stored inside us.
The egoic state of mind is unconsciousness; promoted by anger and fear. This state is further amplified through technology (social media, TV channels, etc.). Thoughts are like little energy formations. We are infected by mental viruses at a physical level. We are regressed to the states of lower consciousness by spreading our ideologies/convictions. With this unconsciousness spreading, we tend to infect others as well. The only way for us to be immune is to be aware of the present and become dispassionate observers. Any action such as sending out posts on social media should stem from this very foundation. We disseminate conscious thoughts; not unconsciousness or reactivity. The state of presence offers abundant intelligence far greater than our actions based out of anger and fear. As our challenges multiply during this inner/outer upheaval period, we have a choice to pull ourselves into a fragmented mindset or strengthen our presence. We evolve our consciousness for this suffering to end by reinforcing our power of presence. We refrain from technology that is spreading unconsciousness; and choose spacious awareness, presence, beingness, and deep I. There are several mindfulness practices in alternative therapies that facilitate a deeper sense of being such as Qigong, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Mudra therapy, etc.
Our general responses to this crisis include ignoring or avoiding our feelings; but, when we breathe into this very moment with gentleness, care, and compassion, it emerges into a moment full of possibilities from far greater depths of wisdom. Thus, channels our energies to connect without judgment, predispositions and helps us realize how interconnected we are with one another and to this very planet that shelters us. As our walls of egoic selves crumble down; we begin to see with enhanced clarity how we are part of everything we go through. This coronavirus triggered disorderliness also offers us an enormous opportunity to realize how our survival rate is dependent on others and their sacrifices by unimaginable proportions.
There is a deeper intrinsic meaning in this pandemic; i.e. something is being overlooked. We should deepen our self-reflection, caress divine communication to conspire magnificent healing among us. We should remind ourselves that we are not vulnerable, refuse to be in the soup of illusions, and we are the source of this infinite abundance, energy. Let us not add any more fuel to our limiting beliefs. This life is beautifully filled with magnificent people, places, wonderful alternative healing modalities and these extraordinary times invite us further our paths of self-exploration quicker than we already are. Let this time be our best time by going inwards for personal exploration and actualization of self to enjoy this blessing called life.
We may experience collective fear and despair in the coming months despite the restraint and resilience we show in social isolation which will eventually become a deciding factor in reducing millions of cases to mere thousands. While we isolate, we should work on some profound shifts that we would like to experience by looking after our health, wellbeing, and spiritual development and facilitate a new opening into our being that is unexplored so far. It calls for our collective effort to draw our motivation from the deepest humanity.
