How to find your Ananda amidst the pandemic
Is it enough to live in fear or do we find a way to break out of the fear mould?
We are in 2022. Still 2021 lingers on for many of us as though we are stuck in a time loop.
From the must-follow Facebook page 'Midwives of the Soul', I found the wise words of Edward Espe Brown, Zen Chef, as he pens it down in 'How to Cook Your Life'.
“There will always be an infinity of things to do.
We can never get our life or our business or our kitchen running exactly the way we want it to run. No matter how we envision it, it can't be that way.
Life is not predetermined to the point that we can get to some stage and then see how it all works.
What happens is that we have a better and better understanding of things, we have more and more clarity and ability to deal with things as they arise. But they keep arising, endlessly.
The empty sky is always creating new clouds."
Just like an empty cloud is creating new clouds, our minds are creating new fears that stem from new variants.
Is it enough to live in fear or do we find a way to break out of the fear mould?
A more important question: How do you break out of the fear?
What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.
Personally, what kept me rooted throughout the pandemic in 2021 has been the continuous practice of my personal sadhana. This set the foundation for me to feel more mindful and grounded about my life's purpose.
For my teenager, practicing Western music became his sole Ananda. With a sense of awe and wonder, I watched my son's voice create magic in our home and I had to ask myself, "How did all these years fly by and I never realized how tuned in he is to music?"
As a working mom, I felt instant guilt.
But the sense of guilt is now replaced with sincere gratitude that my teenager has found his passion, one that brings Ananda to him. Listen to Jyotiraditya Sanand's Saware short cover here.
Most recently, he tried singing his first short cover in Hindi, which made me proud as I can barely speak it, let alone sing! See how finding ‘Ananda’ prompts you to get out of your comfort zone and do things that are probably not bound by family legacy!
What I am trying to say here is that how you respond to your fears matter.
Find your Ananda. Just dive into it and dedicate yourself to it.
It's not easy. But if you love something, you won't mind what it takes to dive deep.
During the second wave that raged across Delhi starting from April 2021, my son and I were alone in our apartment. Horrifying real life stories kept flooding our phones. Of people dying in hospitals, of sheer helplessness of famillies even as cases continued multiplying. Fear caught our throats. We dared not step out of our homes, not even to watch the sunset from our balcony. The scenario was so grim and hard hitting as most people we knew fell sick and it frightened us to the core. I wondered what would happen if I were to fall sick and my teenager had to take care of me!
I took refuge in the ancient Indian Bhakti tradition that offers the ultimate refuge to distressed minds that are running low on confidence and hope - NAMASMARANA.
I am certain that some of you may already be laughing.
But at a time when I was completely alone, helpless and not sure whether I would have to call on strangers to help me in case I get infected, the truth is that I put my entire focus on the power of NAMASMARANA, which kept me and my son fully protected through the second wave.
Whether washing the dishes, cooking or just looking outside, a Sai bhajan would hover on my tongue like a flight about to take off on the runway.
Incorporating an easy-to-do routine and gradually refining it consistently deepened my Sadhana.
For instance, lighting the traditional Kerala lamp, known as the Nilavillaku, at the time of sunset. I found deep serenity in the simple practice of mindfully offering Sandhya Vandanam to offer prayers as sunset and darkness blotted out the tangerine coloured sky.
Mindfulness is key. Otherwise it becomes a very mundane task.
The intention you set makes all the difference to every task and activity.
Everytime I did this, my fears began to ebb.
I feel deeply grateful to be alive and humbled by the opportunities to offer Seva at a time when people needed it the most as they battled for their lives and that of their loved ones.
2021 is a year that made me deeply ponder upon the meaning and purpose of my life.
Maybe I felt guilty to be alive, almost on the brink of frittering away the purpose of my soul.
2021 taught me this powerful lesson - Nothing is in our control.
The only thing in our control is our responses to the challenging situations that will continue to test our ability to navigate internal and external turbulence.
A glimmer of hope, a dash of humor and a silver lining called family.
Yes, we had our share of joyous moments amidst gloom and I look back to heartwarming moments with gratitude.
The year 2021 stripped humanity of all perceived notions of self-oriented superiority.
Staying alive, going back to the basics and keeping life as minimal and simple became humanity’s self-imposed code of conduct.
In a way, 2021 is the year that helped us to see our own reality - of frailty, mortality and vulnerability - amidst the raging pandemic.
Make kindness a daily practice.
Be inspired by Tara Brach's tips on Being a Mirror of Goodness: An Intention for the New Year .
FEW THINGS I ENJOYED READING RECENTLY
As a mother of a teenager, I looked at new ways to experience the pandemic through a child’s eyes and I found myself deeply fascinated by this article on How Teachers are coping with Omicron and How to Teach Your Child Self-Regulation. As parents, how do our self-regulation systems translate into teachable moments, particularly during the pandemic? These are interesting aspects to look into and learn from.
After all, parenting is not just about giving our children a roof over their heads, a good education or a good legacy - it is definitely about educare, the qualities within children that we are able to further refine for not just their own well being but the entire community's well being.
For parents struggling to wean their kids away from tech gadgets, here's an article on how Silicon Valley parents are raising tech-free kids.
This year, find a way stay rooted to what makes you feel safe, that's what we can do to cocoon ourselves from the outpouring of grief and hopelessness all around us.
If you have kids, this is the best time to tuck away their gadgets (and yours!) and have fun filled conversations with them.
Listen more, talk less - that is the best mantra.
In Bert Hellinger's words, "Let no one cause you to doubt, take care of your rarity as the most precious flower of your tree.
You are the dream of all your ancestors."
And this is the balm, for now.
Let me know what 2021 was like for you even as 2022 is looming with possibilities of new variants, booster doses and more challenges coming our way.