Hi.

How are you?

I’m winking at you…but of course you can’t see me because we are practicing social distancing so my cute expressions are lost in the void of technology.

Ah.

Well there are a few things I’d love to entertain your time with.

First…I’m going to lead a facebook live meditation soon.  I’m freaking out even just writing that, but now it will force me to actually do it…I’ll follow up with details on my facebook page which you can find here.

We will see how that works.

Second.  I know you might be either scared.  Or you think everyone is just over-reacting because there has been no real appreciable change to your life.

Let’s talk to you first.  Hi.  So glad the world fully engaged in a full on re-alignment hasn’t affected you.  I’m really glad for you.  But I also think you might be missing something.  Just a thought.  Maybe widen your lens just a tad and see if you don’t pick up some different information.  Just a tad…

For those who are scared.  The rest of this article is for you.

I hate to ask this, but have you seen Donnie Darco?

We all know how somehow science fiction movies and books predict our future, right?  Well…here is another example.  And I can’t stress this enough.  It is a straight line.  Fear and Love.  The same line.  And we are in a moment in time when we are being asked to move our little butts along that line over into the sphere of love.

 

What does this mean Elisha?

 

Ok, I’ll give a few examples.  Bear with me please….I’ve been in quarantine by myself, alone for a week.  I haven’t worn anything but pajamas for a week.  (OK, I kinda like that part.) (I had a video conference this morning and did not get out of my pajamas, just put a sweater over top of them.  I was even wearing two mismatched socks.  So…I am finding lots of little pockets of joy in all this.)  Back to the examples….

Let’s start with the difference between information and fear.

You/We now know that this air born virus lives on objects.  And if someone coughs or sneezes it can remain in the air up to a few minutes. So if you walk into a room– you don’t know if it’s just invisibly hanging out there waiting to kill you.  So!

You can either be in total fear of leaving your house.

OR

You can use that information and be prepared.  You can run your errands and do like I do.

I come in the house.  I drop my outer layer of clothes.  I walk immediately to the shower and wash my hair too.  When I’m done with that I put on gloves…i take my “exposed” clothes down to the washer and using my gloves i go to my car and wash off the seats, the steering wheel and the metal seatbelt part.  I come in,  remove my gloves and wash my hands.

I also take the advice of gargling with salt water and drinking warm water or hot tea for the rest of the day. But truly I do that anyway (well maybe not the gargling.)

Do I freak out?  No.  I just take care of it.  (And since there is really no need to shower every day I only go out when I need to take shower so I can kill two birds with one stone.)

Do I do this if I go out and take a walk? NO!

Do i do this if I’m in any store?  Yes.

There.  Information…and loving my life….no fear whatsoever.

 

OK.  Another example.

You’ve lost your job.  We are in a recession greater than the great depression.  People we know have the virus and might die.

ok ok ok ok.  Those are big fears and realities.  But let me ask you this…And i mean really think about this.

When has being in a state of fear ever generated anything other than fear/sadness/isolation/depression/anger/grief?

And remember…I have also currently lost my job and have more overhead than I care to mention and currently have no way to pay for any of it.  I have home rent I don’t know how I’m going to pay AND an employee I had to let go who has a small son and I’ve just left them without any way to care for their financial needs…so this is a battle i’m fighting internally as well.

So i ask you again, when has being in a state of fear ever generated anything actually usable?

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say with baseless certainty….Never.

So Elisha, what’s the pivot?  You may be asking me… “How do you shift on this line from fear and scoot on over to love?”

You won’t believe me until you try this, but Breath.

I know I know I KNOW...you are so sick of me saying meditation fixes anything.  But YOU just admitted you don’t have anything better to do so….

 

BREATHE dammit.

 

Focus on the in.

Focus on the out.

Focus on the feeling of the air coming into your belly.  Focus on your belly.  Focus on the air coming out of your belly.  Focus on the feeling of the air in your throat and then the air leaving from your nose or mouth.  And then where does the air go before the next breath?  You can do this right on your sofa…I’ll wait.

Breathe.

When thoughts come, stick them on a magic carpet and breathe them out into the ethers with your exhale.

When thoughts come, stick them on a boat and let the boat travel and travel until it disappears.

When the thoughts come, stick them in a hot air balloon over your head–and let it lift off with your thoughts.  Follow them.  Follow them in that colorful balloon as far you can see until they are gone. And then come back to your body.  TO YOUR BREATH.

What will that fix you ask?

It doesn’t matter.  You just created space for something different.  You can now begin to look at your life and your circumstance with clarity.  With calm.  With rationality.  With love.

Love you say, Elisha?

Yes.  Taking this time to breathe is an act of grace, of self love, of pause, of belief.  It’s an act that says to yourself there is another way.  And then my sweet friends….anything is possible.

But here is the rub.

You can’t just do it once.  I mean maybe you win the lottery of stopping once to breathe out of fear and someone calls and says you just won American Idol or something…but for the rest of us….it’s a practice.  A practice to step purposefully away from fear.  To step with confidence from anger, from divisiveness.

 

Breathe dammit.

Now more than ever, breathe.

I’m leading a live guided meditation on Facebook soon.  I’m just figuring out how to do that.  If you would like to join I’m going to teach you an amazing way to shift your energy.  Here is my facebook page.  It’s free.  We are, for better or worse and I’m really hoping better, in this together.

 

I am in this with you.

I am here for you.

I understand what you are going through.

If you would like some distance energy work to help you…please check out my offerings here.  And I also teach beginning Meditation if you want some one on one.  We can find the meditation style and meditation that are perfect for you.

 

Until then, what do you have to lose?  Put your phone down.  Close your computer.  Turn off the TV.  And set a timer for 2 minutes. Just for 2 minutes….breathe.