Healing & Service in the Time of Corona
Welcome to Maher. As some of you know I spent the entire month of February at Maher in India. For 27 days my life was joyfully about service, love, and living amongst about 350 children and 120 women and young adults. Maher means “Mothers Home” in the local language and is a refuge for at-risk, abused, and abandoned women, children, and now men. I have been privileged to be part of this community for over 10 years now. I have gotten to see teenagers, at Maher most of their lives, grow into amazing adults. I fell in love with several new small children, especially a 2 year old boy named Atul. What a story he has. I was also able to help him with Bowenwork. But that is a whole other story! (And I have been asked to write another book about Maher - stories of inspiring successes and instructive lessons over the last 23 years. I brought home over 60 stories so far. Stay tuned!)
Anyhow - I travelled there and back as Corona developed. I relied on my doTerra hand sanitizer, oils, and my silver. I basked in warm weather and I ate way too much yummy Indian food! (I swear Maher has the best cooks!) I arrived home just over 2 weeks ago, in much better health than when I left. (I am curious if being immersed in love and service has more healing power than we know!) Then I went straight to my Mom’s because my floors were not finished at home.
I say this to in part assure you I came home healthy. My mom is still healthy (even at her very advanced age!) and we are both still thriving and feeling great. So I feel assured I did not bring anything unexpected home with me. (I followed all known protocols.) I kept the studio closed the first week back. Then last week people came for long-awaited and missed classes and appointments. All were so happy to be back! We talked about the developing news, as I am sure you all are doing. The landscape is changing daily.
It seems much of Maine (even Cumberland schools) is declaring a 2-week self-isolation. Many things are closed. And the goal is about “flattening the curve” so as to not overwhelm our health care system. Already health care workers are catching it and self-isolating – of course lowering the people available to provide care! Also, some populations are of course higher risk – depending on age, underlying health, where you work, etc. I would HATE to be a place where someone catches it! And I want to support the larger community needs - both for safety, access to health care - and yoga and Bowenwork!
In support of taking action now, before we are the next Italy, I am moving to online classes. This is a work in progress for this week, free as we test technology together! So no groups of people will be in the studio.
On-line isn’t ideal. I know many feel they aren't “on-line” sorts of people – particularly us older folks! That said I have had wonderful on-line yoga experiences, both as a student and as a practitioner leading others. As so many of us “hunker down” and “social distance” it can be deeply supportive to have a guided process to slow down, tune into your body/breath/mind/heart. To move mindfully, with our breath, to rebalance. To synchronize our whole being to the new “what is.” We all have self-healing programmed into our DNA: life has been self-healing for millennia. So there is much we can do to support ourselves. Turning Light can be a part of this.
(If/when you schedule for an online experience I will send a link and can work with you over the phone to help access technology if you need this.)
This link http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/2020/03/interview-with-dr-jarvis-chen-for-yoga.html
speaks well to the yoga community and can apply to all of us regarding stress, and even Bowenwork. It’s well worth the read. (and his earlier article on the same site). Dr Chen is a well-respected yoga teacher AND a Harvard epidemiologist. He talks both from the science of what is happening and our choices PLUS from the Yoga Sutras and Yamas/Niyamas about our own personal yoga practices and choices. He helps us consider not only our own needs and conditions, but our families, our neighbors and greater community as well.
All that said, I am continuing my private appointments with the following steps to do my best to not unintentionally pass anything around.
. Here’s how I plan to do Privates:
Please bring your own blanket or cover up. (I will still provide the sheet on the table and the face cradle, and the pillow/support under knees if you like one.) For your additional peace of mind you are welcome to also bring an empty pillowcase. You can use the pillowcase to cover any cushion you use while here, or even the table where the back of your head touches.
Also – everyone please wash your hands for 20 seconds with the doTerra soap in the bathroom before you enter the large room. (there really is hot water there – it just takes a while to arrive!)
If you have ANY symptoms (or a fever –apparently that is sometimes the first sign!) Please do not come.
If you are in a high-risk group (whether underlying health condition, age, or working in healthcare where you are exposed to either sick people or vulnerable people) then don’t come.
Also we will maintain 6 feet separation except while I am touching you. As you know most Bowenwork contact is through clothing. I will be also washing my hands before, during, after if I touch my face, your skin, etc. I can also wear non-latex gloves for any skin contact. (especially for scar tissue work which is on skin)
I will wipe down all chairs, hard surfaces, doorknobs, etc. with an alcohol-based cleaner meeting CDC guidelines between clients.
If you are thinking to do Therapeutic Yoga in person, then the above also applies plus bringing your own mat and the pillowcase. Therapeutic Yoga work can also be done on-line – I have done it many times before and it works well!
It looks like this will be going on for a year or so, until we get “herd immunity.” Learning new ways to work and do self-care will benefit all of us!
I hope this works for you – it's a new world for all of us! Let me know what you think!
Namaste’
“I honor the place in you
where the entire Universe resides.
I honor the place of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where
if you are in that place in you,
and I am in that place in me,
there is only one of us. ”