The one thing that this coronavirus experience has taught me is to really examine what is being told, what is being mandated, and the reasons for certain actions and/or non-actions to take. Back in March, the Mayor and Governor mentioned that their intent was not to lock Hawai’i down unless it was called for, and then a day or two later the stay-at-home mandate was enforced. First it was to hammer the curve of the coronavirus outbreak and so the lockdown was scheduled until the end of April. As the end of April approached, even with the curve being flattened, the stay-at-home mandate was extended until the end of May, with certain businesses, namely restaurants and hair salons to still stay shuttered. Once again with barely any new diagnoses popping up, the stay-at-home mandate has been extended to the end of June, with cautionary threats of a second wave.
I don’t know about all of you, I am all for being cautious, but honestly there will always be risks and challenges in life. There comes a point when you have two options – stay safe or venture out.
Another perplexing shift that I observed was how the Star-Advertiser reported deaths and recoveries. Prior to May 11th the newspaper reported deaths and recoveries, but since then, it began reporting deaths, and those released from isolation. The Department of Health was criticized over the use of including fatalities in the category of deaths, but nothing was ever explained of why the shift from the term recovery to released from isolation. Stay tuned…
The same goes for the face masks, first they were only for people who were infected to prevent the spread of coronavirus to others or for first responders, then it was optional for you to wear a face mask, and a couple days later it was a requirement to wear a face mask when you enter a place of business, except for banking institutions. I am currently confused and keep wondering if their is some hidden agenda. I am not downplaying the seriousness of a pandemic or the risk for those individuals who are most susceptible to contracting COVID-19, but really, is there a hidden agenda?
The one thing that I have learned over the past 20 years of practice is that the body has one agenda – to communicate with the mind and become aware of anything that is causing stress or a lack of ease to the mind. The body’s main agenda is to work with the mind to maintain a sense of balance and create whatever condition or pain to accomplish this.
Contrary to popular belief, when you are in pain or have been diagnosed with some challenging health condition, your body is not punishing you. Your body is finding the pain or health crisis to express what the unsuspecting mind is unaware of. Pain cannot be ignored and is usually the body’s last resort to get the attention of the mind. Especially in this day and age where the accepted belief is “mind over matter/body”. How many times have you overridden your intuition and instead of listening to your body when tired or unwilling to do a certain task you kept pushing?
The body’s focus is to be in alignment with the mind, hence the mind body connection. What you think and feel is expressed in the body, and body signs are expressions of the mind and emotions. Besides a trusted ally, becoming best friends with your body is essential.
Your body does not lie, but the mind does. The body shows it’s truth through breath, movement, and touch. When you are fearful, your breathing becomes short and restricted, but when you’re happy, it’s deep and expansive. When you are in pain, your movement becomes labored and altered. Last, but not least, the touch or a hug from a person you don’t like, or who may not like you. I bet it is one of the last things you would want to experience.
Give yourself and body a gift, by learning to understand how your body is communicating with you. The time spent in developing this intimate relationship with your body will pay huge dividends in the future. Work hand in hand with your body to make choices that you are aligned with and experience ease and balance in your life as a result. The choice is yours – choose to work with the body’s agenda, not against it.
