What extraordinary times we are experiencing internationally right now!
Peoples lives seemed to have changed from one day to another. My practice too has gone from being busy to almost nothing. I follow the progress of this crisis and become cautious and restricted in my daily activities that I’ve become so used to. This has made me frustrated but also forced to think and be creative. I imagine the hospital emergencies, the vulnerable and the already lonely people, and I wonder how are they coping?
Relationships and movement are essential for us and particularly in times of fear and uncertainty. For some, this situation might evoke a fight, flight or freeze response. It may show up in all different ways of unhelpful reactions, from mild to severe.
Did we learn to cope with unexpected, new and possibly life threatening situations? Did we have enough opportunities practicing to move through these kinds of situations? To return and regain a sense of safety, or even thrive, be wiser and stronger afterwards?
In the ideal world we would have matured into resilient adults that keep learning and growing. Adults that are able to reflect, move through, bounce back, be creative, responsible, to think and make decisions independently! I don’t know if anyone had an ideal upbringing, and of course there is also the question of nature and nurture.
Our life experiences have shaped us. Our bodies are like a storage, and a reflection of our past and present. We can keep learning and growing our resilience by using our bodies as a resource of knowledge. We can use the sensation of its mobile quality to move through and try new options.
I believe that our incredible ability to be aware of ourselves, learn and act is a key to resilience – mental and physical.