1.Non-Judgement – Many of us have come to realise that some of our ideas actually create separation and segregation from those who we love and care about and to heal we must alter our language and expression.  We need to observe staying in the moment rather than having fear take over, connecting with each other at the level of our shared humanity and stepping away from fear and judgement. This is our pilates/yoga in action. Arnold Pattern tells us; ‘the truth is that everything that occurs is just another event or circumstance that we have created in our imagination’. Judging something keeps whatever we judge the way we judge it . Also judging anyone or anything tells us that we are judging ourselves in the same way. How we react to judgment is based on our own choice. Our judgements are often not true and separate from other people. If we have a harsh belief system or a closed minded belief system, then we set ourself up for a lot of pain.

Judging creates discomfort that can only be relieved by opening our hearts first to the subject then to the person or subject that we have judged. How we react to judgement is based on our own choice. Our judgments are often not true.  If we judge someone else as a sinner because they have a different way of living, then we freeze that person at that moment. No matter how much they develop themselves, grow, evolve and no matter what changes they make in their life, we are likely to only remember them at that perceived bad point. Judgement has the effect of fast freezing life at that moment. The world and universe is always changing. We create perceptions that people, places and things don’t change. Our judgments of others are actually judgments of ourselves. It’s easier to to externalise the pain rather than unwrap it and look with in. Byron Katy says we should question our thoughts. How do we feel when we judge other people? Most likely, we don’t feel good about ourselves.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Each time we judge, ask yourself: is that true? Are we too reactive? How do we feel when we have that thought?

2.Movement –  The importance of movement as a mood enhancer and body oscillator has never been more predominant than before. Movement strengthens the immune system. The immune system is a network of special cells, tissues, proteins, and organs that work together to protect the body from potentially damaging foreign invaders and disease. When our immune system functions properly it detects threats, such as bacteria, parasites and viruses, and it triggers an immune response to destroy them.

A 2018 research paper: Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercise on Immunological Parameters in the Elderly Aged: Can Physical Activity Counteract the Effects of Aging? “Some lifestyle interventions can preserve the normal course of aging and, ultimately, prevent premature immunosenescence. Among these interventions, diet and exercise training (multiple single bout of exercise) are the most studied non-pharmacological strategies to fight the age-associated decline in immunity (1921). In fact, exercise training has been shown to induce transient changes in immunity responses at rest and in response to efforts (i.e., recovery following efforts). Exercise training or the “chronic exercise” intervention can be defined as a repeated amount of bouts of exercise during a short or long-term period of time) while, the “acute exercise” can be defined as a single bout of exercise.”doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02187

A 2012 research paper: “Immune regulation in pregnancy: a matter of perspective?” stated three key points 10.1016/j.ogc.2016.07.004

Key points

  • Elements of host defense, innate and adaptive immunity alter during pregnancy.

  • The maternal immune system meets the needs for both tolerance and protection through complex regulation but not suppression.

  • Classical as well as non-classical models of immune system activation and tolerance can explain elements of maternal tolerance.

3. Daylight – Get exposed to natural daylight and the outdoors as much as possible. Get out and go for a walk. This is one of the best ways to co-ordinate our right and left hemisphere. When we are stuck in our heads we live within our left brain and don’t feel life. Our intuition becomes limited and we are driven by propaganda, gossip and our belief system. A 2016 research paper;“The effects of sunlight, particularly UV radiation, on the skin cell biology as well as on the immune system have been described at length. One of its most important effects is UV-induced immunosuppression, a defective immune response triggered by UV radiation affecting the skin first, and then the whole body.”

4. Tribe and community – Isolation in a society that is already so very isolated.

Isolation means no connection for a species who are defined by connection.  Where do we find connection in these times and what does this mean to us? We talk of ‘vulnerable people,’ but the loneliness is more deadly than smoking if you’re over 70. Locking ourselves away in fear slows down a virus, but the disease of isolation festers.

In a world where mental health issues kill more men under 30 than any other single cause, isolation is a potential disaster. In this pandemic, fears of financial difficulty, close relatives and friends, or ourselves getting sick and so forth, all potentially drive this anxiety even more.

Staying safe by being disconnected is a contradiction in terms for many people. Instead, be safe on all levels via talking to others, sharing your vulnerabilities, and being honest to one another.  Stay connected!

5. FEAR is the best way to not only control people but lower the immune system and provide more cortisol. “If you are subjected to repeated stress, resistance to disease goes down”. Dr Rudolp Tanzi

There is so much fear, and perhaps rightfully so, about COVID-19.
And, what if…
If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work…
That all is interconnected.
What if…
the virus is here to help us?
To reset.
To remember.
What is truly important.
Reconnecting with family and community.
Reducing travel so that the environment, the skies, the air, our lungs all get a break.
Parts of China are seeing blue sky and clouds for the first time in forever with the factories being shut down.
Working from home rather than commuting to work (less pollution, more personal time).
Reconnecting with family as there is more time at home.
An invitation to turn inwards — a deep meditation — rather than the usual extroverted going out to self-soothe.
To reconnect with self — what is really important to me?
A reset economically.
The working poor. The lack of healthcare access for over 30 million in the US. The need for paid sick leave.
How hard does one need to work to be able to live, to have a life outside of work?
And, washing our hands — how did that become a “new” thing that we needed to remember. But, yes, we did.
The presence of Grace for all.
There is a shift underway in our society — what if it is one that is favorable for us?
What if this virus is an ally in our evolution?
In our remembrance of what it means to be connected, humane, living a simpler life, to be less impactful/ more kind to our environment.
An offering from my heart this morning. Offered as another perspective. Another way of relating to this virus, this unfolding, this evolution.
It was time for a change, we all knew that.
And, change has arrived.
What if…
– written by Gurpreet Gill

Bibliography 

Paul Chek blogs

Marshall Rosenberg- Non violent communication

Arnold Pattern- Universal principles

Effects of Acute and Chronic Exercise on Immunological Parameters in the Elderly Aged: Can Physical Activity Counteract the Effects of Aging? www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articles › PMC6191490

Immune regulation in pregnancy: a matter of perspective? 10.1016/j.ogc.2016.07.004