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Rose-Marie Sorokin
Astrologer, Author, Yoga & Meditation Teacher
Inspirational books, courses on personal and spiritual development, yoga, coaching and astrology
Coping during difficult times
Rose-Marie Sorokin • Apr 28, 2020
How are you? Are you coping well with being at home or are you struggling? At first it may seem ok or even great to spend all that time at home. No commuting! Sleep-ins? Yea! But then there may be moments of serious doubt, sadness, worry even panic. What is going to happen? How does my/our future look? There is no doubt that many of us are experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions, but instead of trying to fight those emotions, try to stay with them. Take the time you need. Breathe. Take time out (as I did). Celebrate the moments when you feel good. These are times like no others.
The Earth and the whole of humanity are going through a major, major shift. And nobody knows what is next or how this will develop. Everything is crumbling. Many of societies structures are now falling apart. But remember that the darkest hours are just before dawn. The light will come again. And all we can do is to go with it.
What we know is that there is an awakening going on. A massive awakening! All 7.8 billion of us are going through this – and we didn’t ask for it. We protest, we resist, we just don’t want to know. We struggle and we feel the pain. And we ask over and over again, “what is going to happen (to me)”?
The first ten days of the ‘lock-down’ I was going through some major shifts. I had very powerful meditations that brought me to tears many times. I cried for humanity, the Earth and for all the suffering. And I cried for myself and my loved ones. For anyone who is ill with the virus and their loved ones. For ALL the suffering. But there was also visions of a future. A very different future. Hope. We can do this, together. And this shift is so very much bigger than we realise. There is no turning back. Ever. We and the whole world will be radically different after this. There is a light.
I think I might have subconsciously waited for this time my whole life. When humanity wakes up to the horrendous things that are going on in the world. The cruelty to humans and animals, the destruction of nature and the planet, the self-abuse and the selfishness that is widespread. The addiction to things, status, money, looks, travel, digital devises, junk food and meaningless activities. The shallowness and disrespect. It is as if the Earth said ‘Enough!’ and we all had to stop. Our freedom drastically restricted. A very, very hard lesson indeed.
I noticed almost immediately when the lock-down started that the air was very much cleaner. I went out in my garden in the morning and took some deep breaths. Wow! That felt so good. I looked up into the sky and it was blue and clear. The weather improved almost immediately. From having had almost constant rain for weeks and months, the sky cleared, and the sun showed itself. And in the absence of traffic I could hear the birds and there were so many of them. They seemed to love the clean air as well. On my walk along the river I noticed that the water had another colour, from always being brown it was now a green tone and very clear. I also noticed how crystal clear the water was in the streams. And it was almost as if I could hear nature whispering ‘thank you’.
After my first strong and emotional shifts, I felt elated. I felt light and happy as if something had opened up. And after that I got very, very tired. It was as if I could not get enough sleep. I went to be early and woke up late, not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. Yet again, I felt as if I had to slow down for a while. Take a step back and respect the fact that I needed a lot of rest. So, I did. There is no point trying to fight your body or mind when it clearly says that it is time to slow down. I took more time to meditate, did some very gentle yoga and did lots of reading and resting.
I found myself thinking that I should use the lockdown time to do ‘useful’ things such as catching up on paperwork, re-designing my website, write that book etc. I did none of that. I am in the middle of writing my second book but right now I have no desire to write it. Some may call it writers block, but I think it is about timing. This is not the time to write that book. It may be the right time later, but not now.
I am now in a phase of less strong emotional shifts, but I do notice that my mood is going up and down quickly. I am very happy one minute and sad the next. This can go on for a few days and then I feel more ‘normal’ again. All we can do is to just flow with this. I think it is something we just have to accept. And it is far better to stay with our feelings than to suppress them.
This will pass and we will come out the other end – changed. Absolutely changed in some way. We do not yet know how we will have changed but it is important to stay open to all possibilities. We can take some time to contemplate what this may mean to us but at the same time just let go and trust that everything will be fine.
So here are my top tips for coping during difficult times.
1. Slow down. Don’t stress yourself out because you don’t think you are using the lockdown time in the best way.
2. Practice radical self-care. Now is the time to take really good care of yourself. Take time to meditate, exercise and eat well.
3. Contemplate. This is different from meditation or mindfulness. In contemplation we listen to the wisdom that is already within us. We find pauses during our day to contemplate. We stop and we listen to nature, our body, our intuition, our heart, our soul and deeper mind. Not the overactive mind but that part of ourselves beyond the mind. From a point of contemplation, we respond more clearly and calmly to everything around us.
4. Trust. Stop trying to figure things out. Just relax and trust.
The Saturn/Jupiter conjunction takes place at 0.1 degrees Aquarius (both planets having spent a long time in Capricorn). Some people say that this is our proper entrance into the Aquarian Age (you may have heard of this) and this represents a major shift away from the 'heavy' and materialistic earth signs where the Jupiter/Saturn cycle has occurred for the last 200 years. We are now shifting into a 200-year long Jupiter/Saturn cycle in air signs.
Contrary to its popular but erroneous reputation as a New Age subject, astrology is actually an ancient science that predates both astronomy and psychology. Used throughout the world for thousands of years, astrology is the study of the interactions among the stars and the planets, based on complex mathematical cycles
6 Valentine’s Self-Love Tips Valentine's Day puts the emphasis on love for someone special in your life. But did you ever think that, YOU are someone special in your life? Why not make this day about loving yourself ? In honor of February 14, the designated day of love, here are a few ways to practice self-love: 1. Practice acceptance. Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to embrace the person you are. You have beautiful qualities, both physical and emotional. You don't need to look or talk or act like anyone else. We all offer the world something different. That's what makes it so beautiful. 2. Take care of yourself. Taking care of your body shows you have respect for the amazing temple your soul inhabits. 3. Nourish your body. Replenishing your body with clean water and real, whole food is a loving gesture. As they say, you are what you eat. Show your body that it matters by providing the high-quality nutrients it needs to thrive. 4. Be grateful. Are you grateful to have a healthy body that you can move? How lucky are you to have a job to provide for you and your family? Finding things to be grateful for on a daily basis can help change your inner dialogue. If you tend toward negative internal conversation, gratitude is a wonderful way to change that. 5. Get comfortable with "me time." So many people struggle with the idea of taking time for themselves. They dedicate their lives to taking care of children or elderly parents, and the thought of taking a couple of hours for themselves brings too much guilt. Well, I am here to tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking some "me" time. Even just an hour every now and then can help to recharge and reenergise you. This is not only important for your own well-being but for those around you. 6. Enjoy yourself! Life is short! It doesn't have to be so serious. While there is a time and a place to be serious, there should also be plenty of time to enjoy yourself. When was the last time you laughed out loud? Or sang at the top of your lungs? Allowing yourself to be creative and let loose will boost your spirits and remind you that life isn't just about work. There can still be some playtime in there, too!
