I spent quite a lot of time last year researching the Covid vaccines, reading and listening to scientists and doctors on both sides, trying to find some middle ground in our seemingly ever-polarizing world. Eventually, I found a middle ground I could live. And then I became more interested in what Covid might be trying to tell us. I’m of the belief that everything that happens in life is in service of our us growth, evolution, or awakening if we’re willing to listen deeply and stay open to the healing or the changes that need to happen. Of course, I don’t know if this belief is true, but it has served me well thus far. And then, about a month ago, I got Covid. So I had a very good opportunity to listen and stay open.
One message that I heard (and felt) loud and clear was to slow down, rest, sleep. And so I did. However, the slowing down became about more than just resting. As I continued listening, I felt pulled toward more stillness so I could tune in more deeply to my soul and the path it’s trying to take.
It’s often surprising what comes when we take the time to be still, to go inward, to listen deeply. Sometimes, we find something exciting. Other times, what comes to us is worrisome or frightening, such as a voice that tells you it’s time to get help for the unresolved pain buried deep inside or for the repressed emotions that are wreaking havoc on your body or your relationships. Sometimes the voice simply asks, “Is this the life you were meant to live? Are you offering the gifts you came here to offer? Are you in alignment with your soul?”
There can be painful consequences when we don’t slow down and listen more closely and, instead, keep pushing forward. Often, the consequence is a physical or mental challenge or illness, but it can also look like marital or familial conflict and disconnection. Or, the consequence might be living a very busy, seemingly successful life that is bereft of balance and well-being or meaning and fulfillment.
Perhaps, Covid has spread across the globe because it trying to tell us all to slow down: “Hey, hello everyone. Take a good look around at what’s happening. You’re killing yourselves.” This imagined message from Covid is a refection of the fact that last year the province in which I live, British Columbia, saw extraordinarily devastating forest fires (an entire town burned, thousands of acres of forest burned, and smoke-filled skies for many weeks over much of the province), catastrophic flooding (farms and homes were ruined, many thousands of farmed chickens were lost, as well as other animals), a record-breaking heatwave that reportedly contributed to the deaths of 595 British Columbians, and record-breaking cold days in many parts of the province once winter set in. And yet, in this same province, we are expanding oil and natural gas pipelines and cutting down old-growth forests. So it’s no great leap to imagine Covid trying hard to convince us to slow down: "You’re killing yourselves. The normal you are trying so hard to return to is leading you to extinction.”
And maybe Covid has another important message for us: “Slow down. There is a birth taking place now. Expanded consciousness is coming into the world and it needs your attuned presence so it can arrive fully and grow. Please do the things that help you transform the consciousness of separateness into interconnectedness. Don’t give your time and energy to the messages and media that promote polarization. Find your new normal, the one that helps you connect more and more to your heart, your soul, your community, your planet.”
Deep Stillness