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Here we are at yet another week of living in Quaran-town (I wish I came up with that, thanks Tara T. for that one).
I hope that you’re able to keep your spirits high. Let me remind you that we gotta dig deep in these crazy times. Our attitude about this is going to shape the outcome dramatically, both for ourselves and the world.
This morning I’m extremely grateful for:
Morning coffee date with Seneca, my wife, co-parent, and partner-in-crime
Another beautiful spring morning
YOU, for opening and reading. I really appreciate your presence with me on this journey of life
More about item 3
This weird time in our history has certainly created some “unusual opportunities,” as my friend Chris S. has said. People are out of work, plans and progress are on hold, and there’s a lot of enduring fear around simply staying safe. Oh, and there’s boredom. It’s like the weirdest cocktail ever. Here’s how the recipe would read:
The Corona Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz fear
2 oz liquid courage
2 oz whole-lotta-love
1 oz “Cancelled Plans” bitters
1 Tbsp lonely lemon juice
Lemon wedge
3 oz Boredom Tonic, served flat, of course
½ tsp Isopropyl Alcohol
1 oz aloe vera
Pinch of spring blossoms
Margarita salt
2 surgical gloves
N-95 surgical mask
6 ft. straw
Thermometer
Square of toilet paper
Instructions:
While wearing the surgical gloves and mask, prepare a margarita glass by first rubbing it with the Isopropyl alcohol.
Allow glass to dry completely then wet the rim with some of the aloe vera before dipping the rim of the class in the margarita salt giving the drink its “corona.”
Place the liquid ingredients including the rest of the aloe vera (but NOT the Isopropyl alcohol) into a martini shaker and shake vigorously, either by hand or with the help of an EARTHQUAKE (Salt Lake City had an earthquake 3 weeks ago), for an indeterminate amount of time until the CDC says it’s ok to stop.
Pour into glass.
Using the thermometer, ensure that the liquid is below 98.6 degrees before continuing contact with the drink.
Practice social distancing from your glass by using a 6-ft straw inserted into a small hole made in the front of your mask.
Garnish with the pinch of spring blossoms, lemon wedge and serve on a square of toilet paper.
But rather than digressing into day-drinking, let me offer this…
As you know, I make my living by writing, teaching yoga, hosting in-person and online yoga and meditation trainings and retreats. I feel very fortunate to have made a living doing what I love to do for almost 20 years. Yet, these times have presented me with an “unusual opportunity” to give back and offer more resources for free, by donation, or at a reduced price because we all need these valuable resources that help us practice being our best selves during these uncertain times. That and I think yoga, meditation, and some thought-provoking writing present a helluva better solution to our situation than day-drinking.
That’s why I am offering things like my free Tranquility Tool Kit that includes: 2 downloadable yoga videos, 2 Yoga Nidra practices, links to heart-lifting music from myself and friends, as well as some excerpts of my writing to help remind us of our own humanity. I’m also inviting many of my online classes to be by donation so that if you need a yoga class but times are tough financially, you can simply offer good vibes or pay it forward to someone else in some other fashion.
One of my most important missions in life is to offer ways for people to practice being their best selves through yoga and meditation. I am so fortunate to get to make my living doing this, but now I want to give back to YOU who have given me so much through attending classes, downloading my courses online, buying my book, attending my retreats, and simply opening and reading my emails. It means so much, I can’t even tell you.
Here’s the beautiful irony, as much as I try to give back, I am gifted with an increase of generosity comin’ back my way. What an incredible gift! I can’t tell you how immensely grateful I am, thank you, thank you, thank you! It is not only humbling, but reminds me that this bitter cocktail is softening our hearts and helping us to love each other. What humbles me is how despite social distancing, this Coronavirus is helping us to reach out and love each other in creative ways with support, encouragement, creativity, laughs, and resources.
I LOVE YOU! I feel your love back to me.
Thank you.
“Love you more.”
“No, I love YOU more.”
“No, I love YOU, even more”
“Impossible. Can’t love anyone as much as I love you.”
In the spirit of offering yet more love…
Gratitude
One of the best practices we can do right now during these crazy times is to practice regular gratitude. Gratitude is an easy antidote to so many limiting states of mind including, selfishness, fear, and discontent. Gratitude is a wonderful practice that brings us into the present moment and I believe that the secrets of the Universe (including how to beat Coronavirus) can be accessed through simple and regular presence.
Around Thanksgiving time, I offered for the first time a free 14-day gratitude challenge and I’d like to offer it again.
To do the Gratitude Challenge all you do is every day, wake up and write down three things you’re grateful for. Then, choose one of those things and turn it into a small paragraph. You can also share one or all of the things you are grateful for with someone else. Simple. In fact, at the beginning of this email, I followed the exact format for the Gratitude Challenge.
The last time I did this, there were so many people who completed the challenge and wrote to tell me what a magical practice it was for them and how much they enjoyed it. In fact, about two weeks ago, I got an email from a student and friend of mine in NYC who took the gratitude challenge and loved it so much she never stopped. She emailed me to say that she was on day 124
So, I’m offering another gratitude challenge. It starts whenever you register. How about now?
The challenge is simple but will leave you feeling great during these uncertain times. Continued exposure to gratitude will begin to change your character. Plus, gratitude is even more contagious than Coronavirus. There’s really no cure for it but more gratitude.
Registration is free and will give you access to receive supportive emails from me every day of the challenge.
Register today and pass this challenge along to your nearest and dearest. Share the love and make gratitude contagious.
