19 TIPS FOR SURFING THE LOCKDOWN WAVE
At this strange time on the planet I find myself in my house on lock down, unable to see my extended family with two toddlers who are running rings around me- their energy levels heightened due to lack of outdoor exercise as we can’t go out as often as we do normally.
On top of this my Grandma passed this week. She was in a nursing home suffering with Alzheimer’s for the past few years so in some ways it is a relief as she is now at peace.
However, being told we can’t have a funeral right now and not being able to hug and support my own Mum through this has been very challenging.
Having had this greater time and space has given me a bigger perspective on my life and what it is that I really want to be PAYING ATTENTION to. Your attention literally is your greatest currency- where are you spending it?
The Earth seems to be coming back into harmony, with pictures from space showing the air pollution has lessened and water quality improving. This is, to me, a positive sign that things on the planet are improving. When we remember that we are a part of nature- as the World comes back into balance so too will we.
In my opinion we are being asked to get back into right relationship with everything in our lives; our relationships we wish to cultivate, our communications, our food, our houses, our work- life balance, our inner psyche and understanding of any old programmes or conditioning we have automatically running that is not serving us, our phone, media, TV and computer time, our self care, the health of our bodies, our mental health, our emotional stability as well as most importantly our relationship with the planet herself. In ancient Inka teachings the quality of Ayni- sacred reciprocity holds the most value. When we take we must give to keep everything whole and in balance. Where have you been taking without giving back, and where are you giving and not receiving?
So below are a few things that have been keeping me sane and able to keep going feeling strong mentally, physically and emotionally.
1) House love: we decided a while ago as a family to create this term instead of house- work. I am very much a beginner at this but every deed we do, if done with presence and gratitude can become a spiritual offering for the divine. This is often the norm in ashrams and communities. The cleaning, washing and tidying must be done so why not do it from a grateful heart?
2) Spring clean: well if you’re living in the Northern hemisphere Spring is upon us and as if it wasn’t already the best time to do this if you are spending more time at home you will never find a more perfect moment to sort through all your belongings.
There is a wonderful series on Netflix called Tidying Up with the gorgeous Marie Kondo where she visits people’s houses who have a lot of clutter and she helps them to clear out. Knowing that everything is energy all clutter we have in our home can bring a lower frequency. Start by making a room by room inventory of all that needs to be done.
She also gives amazing tips on how to fold clothes and store things for maximum space potential.
3) Create daily practice: if you don’t already have a daily practice NOW is the time. Discover what works for you- Dance, movement, stretching, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation and commit to doing it every day for at least 10 minutes- ideally first thing in the morning.
4) Yoga: everyone needs yoga in their lives in my opinion. If you have never tried it there is a style and teacher for all bodies and abilities. Especially at the moment when so many great teachers are offering online classes.
Here’s a link to my free full length online class:
4a) Kids Yoga: an amazing channel on YouTube is Cosmic Kids where there are hundreds of free videos to keep your kids entertained whilst also teaching them to stretch, breathe and experience relaxation.
5) Meditation- like yoga there are so many forms and ways to meditate. It may take some discovering to find what resonates with you and then a lot of practice to really start to find peace when you are meditating. Like anything in this life that is worthwhile it takes time and effort to create a strong meditation practice but this alone will change your life from within. Cultivating a meditative mind will assist in enabling you to face all situations with a lot more spaciousness, more discernment and a higher perspective.
6) Breathwork: breathing is LIFE. We all obviously breathe but if you have not been taught to breathe properly- for example diaphragm and deep belly breathing, you are probably only bringing a limited amount of oxygen into your body.
There are so many breathing practices, called Pranayama in the Yogic tradition, that it is good to try a few different ones as they also have different functions.
Here is a link to my Alternate Nostril Breathing video which helps to harmonise the left and right hemispheres of the brain:
7) EFT- Emotional Freedom Technique: a most incredible and easy to learn resource that everyone can do and practice from home. It helps to release tension and unresolved emotion from the body by tapping on the meridian points to make profound shifts on all levels of the body- mind- spirit.
Here is a free video on YouTube to get started with this process:
Here is a link to a YouTube playlist which has the original version along with a couple of alternative versions- one by me.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL03lfXjNGw2o35OcMRO-R5ayjl7KLyvLx
8) Energy Medicine: when I discovered this Eden Energy Medicine daily practice it literally changed everything. A practice to bring all of your energy meridians, centres back into balance, to harmonise the two hemispheres of the brain, to release toxins, to activate positivity and re-wire the energy field.
Here is a link to a YouTube playlist which has the original version along with a couple of alternative versions- one by me.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL03lfXjNGw2o35OcMRO-R5ayjl7KLyvLx
9) Write letters: this what seemingly feels like a long lost form of communication could do with a revival. Finding a letter or card in your post from someone you love can bring a wave of excitement at the best of times so imagine what we could spread at this time if we chose to write some love letters to those that are dear to us.
10) Delete old emails etc clean up virtually: just like our decluttering of the house it’s a great time to do this digitally too. Do you have old email addresses you don’t use? Why not delete them? Create space for yourself becoming digitally clean and clear too. Do the same with your phones so there is maximum space and everything is in better order.
11) Learn to bake bread: bread is somewhat of a staple in most of our diets. If we can learn to bake our own we rely less on the shops which at this time have become a bit weird to visit (in my opinion). Plus putting your own loving intentions into it as you knead it with conscious awareness can mean you can enjoy every bite.
12) Learn to grow your own vegetables: so things are uncertain in the world… the system may or may not be collapsing but I’m sure most will agree it was not working in the first place. Unfortunately we have used the planets resources without respect or replenishment for far too long. Something has to give. Learning to grow our own can not only give us a great sense of achievement becoming familiar with the wisdom all of our ancestors knew but also makes us a bit more self sustainable.
13) Use up inredients from the Kitchen: if like us there are things lurking in the back of cupboards that have been there for a while. Why not try to use up what you have one week and do less shopping and get creative in the process finding some new recipes.
14) Share your favourite music including live performances with friends: I’d love to hear more new music. If you shared a few of your favourite songs with others on Facebook maybe others will join and you can explore and add some new, exciting tastes in your collections.
15) Share favourite photos: a nice thing to do as well as getting your pictures in order would b to share them with family that you aren’t able to see at this time. Hopefully bringing a smile to their faces.
16) Learn to make natural beauty and cleaning products: I have been using vegan and natural hair, face, beauty and cleaning products and make up for over 8 years now. They are definitely more expensive to buy but as I have increasingly become more sensitive I have been unable to put on perfumed products or use bleach containing household cleaners that are filled with harsh and damaging chemicals.
The wonderful Louise King from Wilderness Hair is sharing videos on her YouTube channel of how to make your own natural hair products and I’m sure there’s many others out there, as well as masses of resources on the internet.
https://instagram.com/wildernesshair?igshid=163cy432ap0j2
17) Cold water therapy: as a lover of hot water this one is very hard for me. However, the benefits far out weigh the hardships. Starting with just 30 seconds a day of cold showering after using Wim Hoffs breathing techniques (strong breaths in and out of the mouth for a couple of minutes followed by holding your breath for a few seconds- you enter the cold water when your breath is suspended) will have a profound effect on your immune system- exactly what is needed in this time of pandemic.
If you haven’t heard of this legendary man who is defying many years of scientific research with his ability to control his nervous system and willingly create white blood cells then see below to get a taster of his gifts which he always humbly says anyone and everyone can also recreate in their bodies.
https://highexistence.com/the-wim-hof-method-revealed-how-to-consciously-control-your-immune-system/
18) Make gifts for people: again it is too easy to throw money at a situation or event when we are super busy without the real thought and effort which really creates a meaningful gift. If you find yourself with more time on your hands at this time why not get creative and make something with your hands? It can be anything from baking to cards to painting or sewing or crafting and writing. Another fabulous idea I’ve seen around ia people painting positive pictures and messages on pebbles and leaving them places for people to find.
19) Get Creative- often people say “I’m not creative” when they’re not necessarily a natural painter, dancer or poet. What we can forget is that everyone is creative. Creativity is opening up to the flow, being in the moment and we can make anything a creative activity. We are all too concerned in our society of how things look and the finished product but if we are just being creative for the sake of it, unattached to any outcome we can really start to understand the creative energy and how it desires to move through each and every one of us.
I’d love to know what you’re doing to keep well and healthy at this time, prevention really is better than a cure and at this time on the planet there’s never been a more important time to take responsibility of our own holistic health and well-being.
