Creating structure and rhythm during the panda-portal (coronavirus pandemic)
The “Panda-Portal” (Pandemic opening a portal to a new reality – you see?) can be seen as an opportunity. The silver lining of chaos and challenge is that it creates clarity. Whatever is nonessential is falling away, as swiftly as leaves at the first unexpected shock of winter and what is essential is being highlighted for us to prioritize and honor.
During this time, it’s helpful to make a practice out of turning inward and seeking guidance from within our soul’s knowing. When we allow ourselves to turn inwards, we can create sustainable schedules and natural rhythms that really work for us.
For some, structure can feel like the OPPOSITE of flow. My oldest son is that way. But, when we’re run by our emotions and let them run our lives and take us every which way, it can leave us feeling depleted and empty. (However when we’re tuned into our emotions and take the time to dive deeper with them they can create a great entry to our healing)
With no container, our energy isn’t supported and it can leak out – like water spilling on the floor.
A river must have the riverbed in order to flow. When we create structure, we’re crafting a riverbed for our energy to flow towards and fill the basin that’s the ocean of our highest desires.
If we want to navigate life by a DEEPER knowing and create a structure that HOLDS us, we start by turning inwards. The number one thing to do to create a sacred structure is get clear about what our priorities are.
I invite you to take 10-minutes to pause and pull out your Dreambook or your journal. Make your list of priorities for life in general, and then a list of your priorities in the “panda-portal.”
Eventually, there will be an end to the Covid19 virus
When this is over and we’re on the other side, what’s the most important thing you want to make sure you’ve done? Or way you’ve shown up? Or thing you’ve explored in yourself or the world?
Here are even more ways to look at creating a list of priorities. Go with the question you feel a spark to answer from inside. By answering these questions about the end of this current challenge, it can help us be clear about what to do today.
- What’s the most important thing during this time to have embodied?
- What’s the most important thing during this time to have completed?
- What’s the most important thing during this time to have done or prioritized?
If you’re feeling uncertain about how to plan when things are so uncertain, go back and revisit the “connection” section of your Dreambook (if you don’t have one, you can download the connection ebook here) Getting clarity on your core values, dreams, and desires will inform your plans, no matter how uncertain the times are.
The fact is we don’t know how things will be circumstantially, but we get to CHOOSE how we want to be in this life. (P.S. – this is always true)
Many of the people in our community group mentioned that during this time, they want to deepen their spiritual practices through yoga, meditation, and making self-care a priority.
Once you’re clear on what’s the most important to you (like making spirituality a priority), next explore what projects support this.
Taking our example of developing your spiritual practice, look at the bigger projects that support what you do.
- Is it purchasing a book?
- Spend time with a mentor or spiritual teacher?
- Connect with like-minded communities?
Then take the tasks related to your main priority during the panda-portal and use your calendar or Dreambook to schedule it. Put it in before anything else. Even having one thing in your planner to work around can give you a sense of structure and help you feel grounded.
Regaining Balance after the coronavirus pandemic
As we create new routines for ourselves, most people don’t nail it the first time. And that’s okay. It can be so challenging to create structure when our family life, our work life, our social life are all squeezed together into a small space and time. Inside our hectic nests everything is squeezed together, and we’re all learning how to manage together. If you have kids at home or are managing a lot of unknowns and you’re holding to your structure even 35% of the time, you’re doing amazing. 50%? You’re basically a superhero.
If you’d like to go on a deeper dive into creating structure in the panda-portal, I invite you to journal your new path.
Be kind to yourself. It takes time to develop a whole new rhythm.