Yoga and Self-Care in the Age of the Coronavirus

May this grand old lady continue to stand as a symbol of freedom and liberty for all Americans for many sunsets ahead, despite the looming dark clouds in our collective hearts and minds in the current political environment.

What does self-care look like in this time of the Coronavirus?  

During the pandemic, I’ve been indulging in one of my guilty pleasures – watching Nature shows. I love having this extra time to see beyond the concrete jungle of Manhattan to see the real jungles out there in the larger world. I love having this time to watch shows about the Universe – they remind me of how small humans are in the whole of cosmic creation. I enjoyed watching a show on the rise of mammals, and how they rose up after dinosaurs were wiped from the earth as a result of the asteroid collision. I was recently enthralled by a show on the rise of Christianity during the time of the Roman Empire, how Christians were at one time persecuted by the Romans and then eventually how Christianity became tolerated as a religion when the Emporor Constantine the Great came into power in the early 4th Century. All these shows have given me hope for humanity, and all life on earth in general. That which at one time seemed impossible ended up arising, against all odds.

We’re living in a dark time, in my view. So much of the progress we’ve made as a civil society, an imperfect union, has been lost in the last four years. And much more may be lost in coming years depending on the outcome of the elections.

I am heart-broken at Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s passing. Yet, I remind myself that her dissents, as it’s been suggested, may indeed become the blueprints for a more equitable world in the future. Ideas may take a long time to germinate, but progress always starts with someone having dreamed up an idea – no matter how crazy it may have seemed at that time in history. Thank God for all the seeds RBG planted in the fertile psyches of those of us who try to cultivate an imperfect yet ever more open mind through yoga and meditation practices.  RBG’s life mission will not be forgotten.

There are many things we can all do to make sure that we don’t lose all the good things we have the privilege of having. And one of these things we can and should do is practice self-care. Here are some of the ideas of Stanford Professor, Dr. Jacob Towery:

“One of the messages I took with me is that being compassionate to others is wonderful, but self-compassion is incredibly important, too.” He emphasizes that the more we prioritize compassion for ourselves, the more we can be available to be compassionate, patient and kind toward others. “It doesn’t have to be someone winning and someone losing. If you prioritize self-care, other people in your life can also benefit from you being happier, kinder and more patient. It is not a zero-sum game. Everyone can win.”

For more years than I can remember, I’ve done a morning metta meditation where I start my day quietly uttering phrases to myself like: “May I be happy … may I live with ease … may I have compassion for myself.” To me, this is self-care.

Self-care for me has also meant practicing saying “no” to things. As Steve Jobs said:

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

So, self-care for me has involved focusing on a few things daily that are really important to me, and saying “no” to numerous other things. 

And self-care during the age of coronavirus has meant slowing down and doing less, not more. It has meant taking care of my physical and mental health through regular exercise and meditation. As the sentiment goes, if we don’t take care of ourselves first, we’ll have nothing left to give to others. 

So yes, get worked up about the upcoming election. But also, plant seeds for the future recovery by practicing self-care and self-compassion. The recovery may take one generation or hundreds, but the seeds will have been planted by you along with other luminaries like RBG. Remember, your happiness and well-being are not a zero-sum game.

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you extend compassion to yourself, …
May you know self-care intimately, …
For the benefit of ALL beings everywhere.

Aloha, with Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun