Quarantine due to Coronavirus, and now?

We can’t hear the word ´Coronavirus´ anymore. It’s all over the news, the media is spreading panic and now we even have to stay home for a while. Usually this virus is harmless, and we will probably only feel light symptoms. But those amongst us that have underlying health problems or are older have to be more careful. We are staying at home for them and to avoid overwhelmed hospitals. This quarantine is something new for us and for the first time in modern times we have to limit our freedom for the greater good. It does have a lot of positive aspects, and we just have to make the most of this situation.

The positive side of the Coronavirus

We have to focus on the positive aspects of this time to avoid panic and unhappiness. Staying home and standing still gives nature a break and us too. Let’s use it to find our breath again.

The Coronavirus brings us together

We have seen emotional videos where people sang together from their balconies in Italy or played Bingo in Spain. It does bring us together and it does not exclude anybody. Isn’t it true, that we only recognize what we had, when we are lacking it? We are starting to realize how much freedom we have and how lucky we are to be alive now.

We are learning how to live with ourselves

Being faced with the limited space of our homes, it’s now up to us to stay sane and happy during the Coronavirus quarantine. It isn’t possible to hide from ourselves anymore. A lot of us are constantly bombarded with external stimulation. We are surrounded by our friends, colleagues or family and when we come home we watch television or check our social media accounts. What happens to us, when we have no opportunity to surround us with external stimulation anymore?

Most of us get bored with television and social media all day, so we are forced to find other hobbies. We are also forced to get into tune with ourselves. A lot of things might come up during the Coronavirus quarantine. We might be faced with fear, anger and helplessness. Let it come up! Observe your emotions and try to stay equanimous. Breathe through your emotions and accept them as they are. You will learn a lot!

We finally realize that we cannot continue as before

We have known that we have to change something for a while now. The news talks about climate change, wars, natural disasters, and scandals but our few, half-hearted efforts don’t change much. Coronavirus is a symptom of our ignorance. We don’t love ourselves and therefore we cannot give love and respect to our planet. Change starts from within. What has to change is our own behavior. We cannot continue consuming as much as we did until now, we cannot continue to eat as unhealthy as before, and we have to stop destroying our planet. The viruses we are exposed to all have one origin: the contact between humans and animals. The slaughterhouses and animal farms are posing a great risk we are not yet completely aware of. Mass production of meat is killing us. It all comes down to karma in the end. We create suffering for animals and our planet, and we do suffer the consequences.

WE HAVE TO STOP CONSUMING MEAT! Optimally we should avoid animal products altogether. At least we have to reduce our meat consumption as much as possible. I know it’s hard for us to stop habits, but we want to survive and more than that: we want to flourish. Meat consumption is not necessary, especially not in the amounts that we are consuming at the moment.

When we see pictures of how quickly nature recovers from human influences, it gives hope for the future. The waters of Venice are clean after only a few weeks of quarantine. Nature is intelligent and more powerful than we think. But we have to give Mother Nature all the space and respect it deserves.

We are finding new ways to earn money and spend our time

Faced with a lot of free time in our homes we have to get creative. Some lost their jobs and experience existential fears. There are more options to earn money with your skills than you think! The platform www.upwork.com is one example. Maybe you have a skill you haven’t used professionally yet? Do you know a language or do you write well? The platform Upwork offers you online jobs by the project. We can also use the time to create something or develop a new skill as a hobby or even to earn some money. The modern world has so many possibilities. You could create a YouTube channel, sell DIY products or even write a book. Possibilities are endless, you just have to look.

How do I stay mentally active and sane?

Our mind is very powerful. The body and mind are tightly connected. A healthy mind keeps the body healthy and a healthy body contains a healthy mind. We have to take care of our minds and stop us from overthinking. Surely you have heard of the placebo effect. If we tell ourselves that we are healthy, we will be. You have the power to stay healthy and cure yourself! Of course, this is no magic pill against the Coronavirus, but it will help you to get lighter symptoms and get well sooner.

Be present and focus inward

Our society suffers from a community delusion. Man is a herd animal. We blindly trust that the masses already know what is right, just as we blindly follow our upbringing and the beauty craze. You must have the courage to decide for yourself alone and that can mean taking a risk. But isn’t it worth it? Aren’t we crazy as a society? We stuff plastic under our skin and swallow cotton wool to be considered beautiful for a few years. But for what? What do we get out of being considered beautiful by others? Do we not really want to be loved for our inner values? We can nurture ourselves and worship our body as a temple. We must protect our shells and keep them as healthy as possible. Beauty will then come all by itself. Beauty gushes out, out of the eyes, out of the gestures, out of the deeds, and so there are people who might be called ugly, but their nature makes them attractive and appealing. We are just as blind in crisis situations. We hardly check the truth, we follow the masses and even if we know that the masses act wrong, we do not have the courage to take another way. But if a single person does, the masses quickly either worship or hate him: two extremes. We often feel envy about success. Because actually we secretly know that we could have done it if only the courage had been there, if if if if …

We have been brought up to think too much and take our thoughts too seriously. Counter this, start meditating or just try to be present in what you are doing! If you concentrate on your breathing, you should always return to the moment. Meditation is like a relaxing shower for the mind. We should not only cleanse our body and our environment but especially our mind needs to get rid of unnecessary waste.

Exercise

Exercise is very important for health, we know that. But it’s even more important for our mental health. Don’t just find mental stimulation, we have to move our bodies to stay sane, too. We are not made for sitting around. We are animals and we need movement. You can find many YouTube videos for free on home exercises. I would of course recommend you to look for online Yoga classes. Soon I will upload a Yoga class, so stay connected to my social media! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Yoga is not only a great physical exercise, but it also strengthens your mind and helps you find inner balance and opens your heart.

Develop a new skill and find a new hobby

Find ways to forget yourself in a task. This is also called ´to get into a flow´. This is the perfect way to meditate while having fun. Meditation is improving our mental health, our determination and our focus. But we don’t have to sit down, close our eyes and focus on our third eye in order to meditate. We can also find a task, which makes so much fun, that we forget everything else. Any task done with a complete focus can be a meditation. Have you tried knitting, painting, playing an instrument, yoga or creating your own DIY products yet? There are amazing ways to create your own cleaning products or even cosmetics. I will soon write a post for some recipes you can try out!

Connect with others online

We often forget how important our family and friends are. Now we have the perfect opportunity to call them. It’s so easy nowadays. The quarantine during the Coronavirus outbreak is bringing us together and many people offer free online courses. You could also create an online group with friends and family to stay connected as a group. For example Zoom is a great platform to create video chats as a group. Maybe your friends can share a skill with you online?

This article was written by Prema Gaia Yoga.