Covid-19: Healing The Grief Of Isolation

A teaching meditation on healing the grief of isolation during the CoVid-19 pandemic, with soft background by Music Of Wisdom. We join our beloved community in a shared healing experience to grieve and heal together. In the three periods of meditation, we find and revitalize the existing connections with our family and friends, our original natural self, and finally with our divinity. Begins and ends with three rings of the singing bowl.

Transcript

The Heartidal Loose Hello. This is Jacob Watson, And this is a continuation in my series of teaching meditations on healing grief that address the COVID-19 virus and other present-day crises. Welcome. Interwoven with this teaching on healing the grief of isolation are three meditation times to consciously activate your own healing from isolation from first our people, Then from self, And finally from the divine source. Healing meditative music from music of wisdom plays softly in the background. Isolation we often think is isolation from something or someone, Feeling alone and lonely, And that is a challenge now living with COVID-19 and our other worldwide crises. It is a useful and even revolutionary question to ask, Who am I that is feeling isolated, Or who is it exactly that is feeling this isolation? We feel or see the isolation over there, So at least we know it is not us, Because it is separate over there. Yet, That keeps us isolated because we are feeling separate. As human beings, We can do something about this kind of isolation. We do what we can to stay connected, Talking in person, Using a mask at a distance of six feet, Connecting by phone, By email, By Zoom, Etc. Yet, Underneath these acts, As useful as they are, Lies potential even more powerful. That is the immediate personal healing act to bring the people who populate our lives, And there are many of them, Directly into our hearts, No matter where they are. This we can do instantaneously, In any setting, With no cost or side effects, And even, If we choose, Without anyone else knowing that we are doing it. It is often an intimate experience we might not want to share with anyone else at the moment. Healing and reconnection most easily begin with a close partner, A person that we love, Likely a family member or close friend. How easy it is to bring these beings into our heart, To think of them, To bring them to mind, Even to call forth their face, How they look, And perhaps their voice and touch. They often have a special look in their eye when they look at us, And a unique tone of voice when they are speaking to us. They would likely be physically close to us. An image quickly, Within a split second, Forms in our consciousness. There they are, Or really, Here they are, And it is safe from the virus to reconnect in this mindful way. Suddenly, Quickly, They are with us, Beside us. Sometimes it feels like they are indeed within us. We know them by our five senses, By sight and sound, By smell and touch, And by presence. Even by intuition, They are with us, Such as when we know their thoughts and feelings without words, Just by knowing them so well, So intimately. And remember, They know us, Too. These are our family, Friends, Acquaintances, Our people, We could call them. They stretch out beyond family and friends, To include our larger family, The human family, Those who are living and interacting with us simply because we are here, Across town, Or somewhere on the planet, At the same time, Even if scattered around, Our people. In this first meditation time, Allow yourself to call forth these, Your people, Whether near or far, Known or unknown. It will happen instantaneously, With little effort, Because many you know well. Indeed, You are part of their lives, And they are a part of your life. They would agree to that in a heartbeat, And are happy to own and acknowledge that fact. Yes, Fact. So now, In this silence, Imagine them, Bring them close, Acknowledge them in your life, Right now. All these people are with you now, But sometimes the isolation lingers because it is our very being that we are isolated from, Ourselves. This can be the most dangerous part of isolation, When it is a feeling without an object, Individual isolation as a state of being, As I feel isolated from myself, Or I don't know who I am anymore. The grief from living with COVID-19 can take away our normal sense of self, Of who we are, And how we think of ourselves. We can be threatened in this way, In these days, Consumed with grieving. The usual reminders that help us remember who we are, Are missing. It can be easy to forget. Yet, It is this very remembering that we can do right now, That will remind us of who we are, Our essence. It is not far, But near, Not distant, But close. Indeed, We are not at all separate. We are it. I am it. I am. There is nothing else. I am nothing, No thing. There is nothing to be isolated from. We can't be isolated from who we are. It may take reminders, And certainly our breath is a helpful one, Breathing in and out. Our breath reminds us of who we are, As long as we also remember it is our spirit that animates our breath. We are our spirit. We are spirit. So here is a chance to reclaim what is already ours, Already yours. In this second minute or so of silence, Breathe into your being, Inhabit your being, Breathe out your being. This can help, Holding in your mind and saying such words as self, I am, Core, Essence. I am. I am. I am. I am. It is like coming home to acknowledge yourself in this way. It is so comforting to know this is you. There is no need to look further. The old isolation melts away in the light of this remembered self-consciousness. Even more healing is possible now that you have reclaimed your people and yourself. This is the final gift, The final healing. This is how we can also heal the last isolation from God, The Divine, The Holy Spirit. Please know that this isolation can never actually happen. It only feels like it happens, Especially in these pandemic times. So we are here again remembering a fact. It is only an illusion that we are separate from the Divine, For we are not only as one, We are one. That's the fact. This is why we can call it the ultimate healing. In this next silent time, Our third, I invite you to do what you don't have to do, For it is already done. So this is a remembering, A recollection, A recollection, A reconnecting. It is already a living truth that you are the Divine, The Holy Spirit. Beloved, It is not even a question of doing or being. You just are this. We experience in this quiet time the simple and gracious power of what is. This is it. You are the Divine, The Beloved. Fulfilled by remembering these three truths, We connect with our people, We are at home with our intimate self, And finally we are one with the Divine. We know in this new precious affirmation that we are not ever isolated, Indeed never have been isolated, And finally never will be isolated. We are whole with our fellow human beings near and far. We are one with ourselves here and now, And we are divine right now. All three healings bring us home and show us plainly and simply that we are not ever isolated. We are so connected there is no distance or difference. It is impossible to be isolated from our people, Our self, Or our divinity. We are whole, Connected, One. May you stay safe and be well. To conclude, I'll ring the singing bowl three times. May you stay safe and be well. May you stay safe and be well.