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"You become that which you most deeply focus your attention upon. If you constantly give love, you become love itself." - Danna Faulds
Before you read any further I invite you to pause for a moment...
Place your hand over your heart...
Take a deep breath....
Hold it for a few seconds...
Allow it to fill your entire body...
Slowly release your breath...
Repeat this practice as many times as you need until you feel a sense of calm....
Then continue reading. :)
Now, re-read the title of this piece.
How does your body respond when you read the first part, "How can we be more loving?" Again, pause for a moment and allow yourself to really feel what is present for you.
Then, read the part in brackets, "A response to COVID-19". And yes, you guessed it! Pause again and let yourself feel what is alive in your body.
Repeat the opening practice if necessary to calm down your nervous system before you keep reading. And repeat again if you need. Repeat as many times as you like. Or simply take a break and come back later when you're ready. There's no rush. Take all the time you need.
I invite you to reflect on how your body responded to each of statements in the title. What arose for you when you read about being more loving? What arose for you when you saw COVID-19? Were there any similarities? Were there any differences? There's no need to overthink any of this, just feel into what came up in your body.
The reason I used that title is to invite you to shift the way you respond to even just the mention of COVID-19. There is a tremendous amount of fear surrounding this virus and, although it's valid to feel this fear, it actually doesn't do any good to act from that place. And the key to how we can shift from fear to love is right here in each of our bodies.
So, the next time you find yourself feeling a sense of fear, anxiety, or stress in response to COVID-19, I invite you to slow down and use the practice I shared with you. Allow yourself to feel the love flow into your body, through your breath, directly into your heart.
Then, any time you find yourself engaging with COVID, whether it be through your own thoughts or the media, loved ones or complete strangers, ask yourself, "How can I be more loving?"
See what begins to shift not only for yourself, but everyone around you as well.
All my love and wild blessings.
