Essential and non essential are common phrases but we’ve been hearing them more often for weeks now. With more and more ‘time’ on my hands I’ve been contemplating these expressions more deeply and experientially. What is absolutely necessary and what is not are frequent ponderings. Basic necessities - food, water, shelter, sun, fresh air, sleep, movement, relationships, right work, breathing - essential. Closets full of clothes, 24/7 news, fear, worry, mindless shopping, eating out - not so much. As the world grinds to a halt may be we all begin to see things in a new light. Circumstances that have always been with us such as suffering and disparity are being illuminated.
Since age seventeen I knew I wanted to be a social worker. I have stayed on this helping profession path for over forty years consequently in the service of others for a long time. Now in the time of COVID and everything at a standstill I am giving myself permission to replenish, do less and savor what is essential for me without guilt. Sleeping later, going for long walks with my husband, preparing all my meals and planning my garden are taking on new levels of importance and reverence. Not needing to be productive and not having to be as conscious of time are curious entities. Mid morning today I simply sat outside in the sunshine, was still and watched a carpenter bee buzz around, enjoying my awareness of this delicious moment. How often in our busy lives are we not noticing these simple events that are always happening around us.
I often use the metaphor of putting one’s mask on first as we are taught to do on an airplane when oxygen is lost. For most of us who do too much for others, giving to oneself first can feel awkward and strange at first but, actually are generous and sustainable acts. Self care is not selfish, mean or a luxury and yes, essential. The healthier we are the more we can navigate this marathon we’re in with ease and continuity. As in nature, energy is not wasted unnecessarily and on needless things such as judgement. While we learn to adjust to our ‘new normal’ it’s Ok to pause and regroup. All ‘hearts on deck’ will be needed as those on the front line will need a break and reinforcements brought in to replace them.
One of the first teachings of Yoga is ‘and now the inquiry’. My hope is that we will be in our ‘stay at home’ place long enough to get comfortable with 'this new normal’ and discover what is absolutely necessary for our own wellbeing. For those of us who are working less may we remember the art of non doing and that less is more. May we discover freedom from obligatory and mindless choices on how we use our time. May our inquiry reveal how little we need and the importance of gratitude and appreciation for what we have. May we care for one another from a place of our own fullness rather than from a place of depletion. May we see the present moment in a new light, not taking anything for granted and remembering we have an opportunity to wake up to what is truly essential. And may we finally acknowledge our interconnectedness, what happens to one happens to us all. May our capacity for compassion and gifting grow and expand, not for just what’s happening in the present moment but in the words of Buzz Lightyear (my granddaughter is into Toy Story right now) ‘to infinity and beyond’