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How to Cope with the New Way of Living – COVID 19

For the last couple of months, all of us have been through some trying times. The human race collectively went through something that no one had ever imagined. In this time and age, locking down the entire world was an idea that no one had ever thought of. But desperate times call for desperate measure. Even though this drastic measure gave us a few negative effects but if we look deeper than this surface, it was only a positive idea that kept everyone safe and healthy. Sometimes, it takes the negative to create the positive. It was these testing times that have helped us to tap on those hidden potentials that we didn’t even know existed within us.

The new way of living has given us the perfect opportunity to walk on the path of our Dharma (Duty). We all have certain duties towards ourselves, our loved ones, the society, country, and the world as a whole. COVID has helped us to understand the basics of hygiene all over again. Right from covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing to not spitting on the road, and to even wash our hands and vegetables well. It has taught us to be patient with each other, as well all are in the same boat, for the first time ever.

To cope with the new way of living, we must develop and inculcate the feelings of Maitri and Karuna (friendship, love, and compassion) towards each other. Instead of pointing out mistakes in others, we must help each other out. Let positivity and hope prevail over negativity and problems. We have fought the COVID battle till now, let us now fight the battle to protect humanity as well.

To sail smoothly and to cope with the new way of living, we must all use this time to adopt the four pillars of Yoga in our daily lives:

  1. Aahar: You must stick to what you have been doing for the past 4 months, that is, eating healthy home-cooked Sattvik food. Include a lot of ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, amla, and lemon juice in your diet. All these food items will help to build up and sustain the immunity levels.
  2. Vihar: Try to bring joy in your life in every aspect. If the situation gets tough, it is your responsibility to not flow with it but to lift yourself with joy. No matter what you do, whether it is working from home, or doing the household chores, do it with joy and full concentration. Start seeing the goodness in all your family members. You never know when you will have that Eureka moment when you find out something new about either yourself or your loved ones during these times. Keep expressing yourself through different ways like art, or dancing, or even writing. You don’t need to cope with the new way of living, rather you can simply enjoy it.
  3. Achar: The path of Yoga has a holistic approach. Keep practicing Yoga as a way of life. In fact, now you can use this time to include Yoga as a family bonding exercise. Yogic practices like Nishpandha Bhavana can help to be a passive person during this time, wherein actions are not expected out of you, all you have to do is – just be. Pranayama practices like Anulom Vilom and Yogendra Pranayama IV aka Diaphragmatic Breathing help to strengthen the respiratory system.
  4. Vichar: Don’t let fear creep into your mind. Once the fear comes into the picture, even a strong and healthy body and mind can fall sick. Replace fear with faith. Staying positive and optimistic through these trying times can only help us to remain sane. Instead of getting caught up in the ‘what-ifs’, be in the ‘what-is’ and make the most of it.

Humans have gone through a lot in the past, this too shall pass. Keep adjusting, learning, and growing through it all. That’s the only way to cope with the new way of living. After all, change is the law of nature, isn’t it?

Be strong, be positive, and be in Yoga.