We are all transitioning from the Covid lockdown days to the new normal. It feels unsettling. We all felt loss during Covid, but some of us gained some things. For some, extreme hyper vigilance and fear took hold. Isolation, loneliness, death and grief overwhelmed people.
But for others, wearing a mask increased a feeling of emotional protection. Some felt relief that our lives did not have to amount to anything significant during lockdown. A silent stillness and emptiness in the city streets provided solace. For some staying home alone made life easier. Everyone experienced it differently.
We now find ourselves either trying to move into something different or get back something we had. The transition can feel to abrupt with lost routines and stalled attempts to find new ways.
Resist the urge to think “If I can just get there…. or have this, it will all be ok.” This way of thinking is future oriented and can set up expectations that might not get met. The finish line keeps moving future and future away. Try to be ok with “not knowing” in the present moment. Always trying to fit your life in a prescribed notion of what you imagine it to be can signal trouble. With meditation we can put a little more space in our lives and be less judgmental of ourselves and others during these difficult transitional periods. We soon discover new cracks of openness and an immense opportunity arises to fill them with kindness.
Dharma Punx Boston meets every Sunday outdoors from 4:00pm - 5:30pm. Everyone is welcome to join us. We meet across from 73 Park Dr., Boston 02215, under the trees next to the James P Kelleher Rose Garden. You might want to bring a folding chair, cushion or towel to sit on. You can park for free in many resident spaces nearby on Sundays. The T stop is at either Fenway or the MFA. Our meetings are peer led by members of our sangha and include meditation, and a brief talk on a Buddhist related topic and a group discussion.