Life has gotten very confusing. Is it safe to go outside? Is it safe to spend time with friends and family? Every town, state and person has a different perspective on how to be in the world right now. And it’s STILL hard to plan anything with much certainty. How do we find balance in the summer of Covid?
And it’s summer. The season when all we want to do is be with each other, sharing food and having fun.
The natural energy of summer is joyful and carefree and the energy of the pandemic is fearful and cautious. How do we find balance between the two? Feed the fires of connection.
The Summer Season is an expression of Fire energy
Fire is about connection, relationship, exchange, heart, love, joy, laughter, transformation, pleasure, passion- all the good things of summer! The long days are an invitation to be outside, stay up late and have fun. An invitation to be with people and connect. It’s happiness and joy to the extreme.
It’s also a time to work hard in preparation for winter when the energy is more quiet and internal.
This ‘pleasures of the people’ summertime energy conflicts with the social distancing, mask wearing, stay at home mandate required to slow the spread of covid. So, how do we find balance?
Simply having the awareness that summer has its own energy that happens to conflict with covid precautions can open the way to a healthy balance. May this awareness bring compassion for ourselves and for our fellow human beings during a time when there is so much angst and stress in the world. May it bring a deeper understanding for feeling conflicted about how to move in the world in a good way right now.
We can still feed the fires of summer and be in alignment with summertime energy without being careless or reckless. There are some things you can do that can be quite helpful and offer support and grounding while at the same time being mindful and cautious. I think being grounded and centered is just what we need right now to get through this!
Cultivate inner peace and balance by sitting with a fire
Sitting with the presence of fire is always a helpful thing to do. Whenever you’re feeling uncertain, confused, fearful, lonely, longing, angry, in need of guidance, looking to move the energy and cheer yourself up, when in doubt, you can sit with the fire.
This can be a fire outside, and if you have that option I really encourage you to go for it and make it happen. You can get a fire bowl and create a safe outside space to sit by the fire. Sitting outside by a fire is a very natural and ancient practice that we have a deep connection to. Do you remember all those good feelings sitting by the campfire?
If that isn’t an option, lighting a candle is also really beneficial. Keep a candle lit when you eat your meal, when you pray or meditate, and/or while you’re reading, or relaxing.
Fire is heart energy. And simply being in the presence of fire will open up your heart. Fire will calm your mind and wash away your fears. Fire transforms.
Fire brings light to the darkness and warmth in the cold. This works on a spiritual/emotional level as well. When you’re in need of light and warmth in your life, fire is medicine. Fire can balance the overwhelming amount of fear that we’re prone to and subjected to in the media.
The social aspect of Fire Energy
We are being ask to social distance and stay at home. The downside to this is it feeds the growing isolation and disconnection that was already very present in our society. We need social interactions with our fellow humans in order to be healthy.
With the need for such restrictions we need to make a conscious effort to create healthy ways to stay social. It looks like this virus is here to stay for awhile so we need to find a way to work with it. Find your pandemic peeps! Get creative! Make the effort to be social in ways that feel safe to you. Your spiritual and emotional health and well-being depend on it. Doing things to support your spiritual and emotional well-being ultimately support your physical well-being.
