There are three levels of response to COVID 19 – how it affects us physically, mentally and spiritually. The physical response came first, and by now everyone knows about self-isolation, social distancing and testing.

The second effect, on our psyches, is being experienced personally. The best advice in the mental area is meditation & yoga, exercise, relaxation techniques and paying attention every day to finding not just relaxation but joy and comfort in small things of life.

The third area is the spiritual effect of the outbreak, that evokes concern about the state of our souls. Spiritual well-being is alien to many people’s daily lives, and with the decline of organized religion, millions of people experience a sick soul — weariness of heart, existential dread, a sinking feeling that nothing really matters — without finding a way out.  

It has been taught in every culture that inner peace and joy are available only through looking inward. Universal truths don’t matter until they are true for oneself personally. The secret imparted by the world’s traditions is that our sense of self is the gateway to inner peace and joy. Meditation is nothing more than being alone in silence with yourself and letting your awareness go to the place where peace and joy are eternal. That’s how we test an eternal truth and make it true for us.

Our soul is the most intimate part of us and it isn’t found by running away. In a time of crisis, the impulse is to go into emergency mode, fear, concern and panic. Giving in to those impulses will engender an epidemic of soul sickness.

Let us practice this :
Write down how you can perform an act of kindness today, show appreciation to someone, offer help to those in need, or bring comfort to someone feeling lonely and anxious — the simple human gestures we tend to overlook.