Good Medicine for Hard Times

Just when we thought we had some hope to return to normal life with the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, news of fast-spreading mutations of the virus were discovered and announced.

Sigh.

Or should I say...WTF?????!!!!!!

I don't know about you, but I am TIRED. Physically tired. Emotionally tired. Spiritually tired.

Haven't we learned our lessons yet? Can't we be set free to frolic once again??

Haven't we learned to appreciate the loved ones we cannot visit? Haven't we discovered the preciousness of human life?

What else do you want us to learn, dear Universe?

Shutterstock photo by Svetlana Orusova

Child-me wants to rail at the universe and throw a temper tantrum. Enough is enough! Let us out of our cages, to be free to run and play again!

Spiritual-adult-me knows there is divine purpose to everything. I begrudgingly take a seat on a big rock on the climb up the mountain, look up to the sky, and ask "What do you want me to learn next?"

The message from Spirit is this.

Change...takes...time, my love.

Change is uncomfortable.

Change is painful!

And though it be painful, a new beautiful life awaits you on the other side of this change.

We promise.

Your new life will be different.

You will be wiser.

Less naive.

More aware of loss and grief.

More aware of the preciousness of life.

But you will be more grounded too.

More centered in what matters most to you.

You will feel more alive.

You will refuse to settle for mediocrity.

You will share more of your love and light with people.

You will be less afraid to be you or to share your unique perspectives, talents, and gifts.

You will care less about material things and more about experiences.

You will remember to hug friends and loved ones before saying goodbye.

You will know you are capable of surviving anything.

It reminds me of the part of childbirth where a woman is pushing the baby out of her. It is productive pain--with purpose--but so very uncomfortable.

Yet there is no going back. That baby isn't gonna go back inside of you no matter how uncomfortable you are or how much you wish it.

There is no remote control, either, to fast forward to the end of this story, past all the pain and discomfort of the pushing and the childbirth.

Only you can push the baby out.

So here we are my beautiful friend.

Creation comes with labor pains.

Creation comes with contractions.

Creation comes with pushing through pain when you are exhausted and you absolutely want to give up.

But creation delivers something beautiful too. New life!

While we give birth to our new world together, how can you take care of you? What is your good medicine?

Shutterstock photo by Izzzy71

Grab a pad of paper or the note-taking app on your smartphone and generate your list. (If you are too busy to do this now, schedule 10 minutes on your calendar.)

Here are some ideas to get you started and note that all of these ideas can take 20 minutes or less. See how this good medicine can rejuvenate your spirit!

• Drink some hot tea
• Take a power nap/close your eyes (set the timer)
• Take a hot shower or bath
• Spend time with a blanket and a book or magazine on the couch
• Have a brief phone call or video chat with a friend (let them know it will be a power visit)
• Walk to the mailbox/end of the road/around the block
• Lay on your yoga mat in shavasana pose and enjoy the feel of the floor beneath you
• Sit on the front porch/back porch or by an open window and breathe in the fresh air
• Drink a glass of cool water slowly while looking out the window
• Savor a healthy, tasty snack that makes your body feel good
• Sit down to the piano or guitar and play a few songs
• Color in an adult coloring book

What good medicine do you want to add to your idea box?

Keep a running list that you can add to as you go. Do these things not because they are productive, but because they make you feel good! Because they reset you.

It's not about taking a lot of time. It's about carving out 20 minutes (or even less) with the intention of rejuvenation.

Based on my personal experiences and because Uranus is in Taurus right now, I believe that the COVID quarantine is meant to be teaching us to savor life and the earth's simple pleasures.

Creating your own list of good medicine and learning to carve out one or more pockets of time each day to take it will help you get through this very challenging time by squeezing joy from the small moments. I promise.