Beloved ones, it seems we are standing on the edge of a great collapse, it is somehow both scary and exciting… The fear is palpable right now and I feel to extend some serious kindness to those of us afraid… We may be worried about our families, the elderly, our children, or even our own health. If we are self-employed we may be concerned about how to pay the bills, how this will affect our business, our livelihood, reputation etc. There is great discomfort in not knowing what lies ahead… Yet at the same time, the increased demand for LOVE and CARE is equally palpable in amongst the chaos. Life is giving us a firm STOP. A clear message to slow down, stay at home, and hibernate for a little while longer. In a world and culture that strongly denies self-care, what else is there to do right now? We are being offered a collective opportunity to retreat and maybe that’s a wonderful gift to break down the ways in which we live in self-denial. Living here on this sweet quiet island is really offering a lot of food for thought around what really matters on a basic level. Is earning money what's truly important? I find myself questioning our need for consumerism – do we really need so much? What basics are actually needed at this time? And how can we cover those and stay relaxed? There is a strong invitation to simplify, come back to basics and reconnect to nature. And it makes complete sense when you think about the overall imbalance on our planet. For those of you growing your own food and taking care of animals, you’ll know what I mean. From this point, we may begin to contemplate what we really value in our lives? And what do we take for granted? So as much as these may be challenging times, a time to isolate and quiet down, they may also be a time to remember what we truly love and value in our lives, a time to extend our love and care to those around us, even if that love means staying away from the ones we are closest to, to keep them safe from infection. Is it possible that isolating and taking better care of ourselves is also creating greater intimacy within our communities? One of the many beautiful polarities to explore right now. Offer support to those in need, check in with those vulnerable but don’t forget to take care of yourself. Learning this balance; that our care and love includes ourselves too is the lesson of a lifetime. Maybe this is what Mama Earth is teaching us right now? Nothing is excluded from her compassionate embrace, every one of us equal and deserving of that love. Both giving and receiving are of equal importance and maybe its worth noticing where we are not in balance with this flow. It's also worth noticing how honest we can be with fear right now, in a way that’s accepting and non-judgmental. In the past week, I noticed a tendency in me to disassociate. I don’t have a TV, I don’t speak Danish that well – it was very easy for me to remain detached and somewhat disconnected from what was going. Meanwhile, others get caught up in the hysteria, start panic buying and making rash decisions. Both of these movements stem from fear. But what if we look at fear as a healthy response to danger. A means to protect ourselves from an imminent threat. And with that understanding can we stay connected to our bodies? Can we breathe with the waves of fear as they rise within the body space? Can we simply notice the moments when we disconnect from our bodies – where we numb out, overthink, panic, deny? Can we offer kindness for these movements as they gently guide us towards action? Can we stay rooted in our response so the natural movement to rise can occur? It seems growing into right relationship with fear and the fear of survival instinct that we’ve carried in our DNA for centuries, is part of this collective purge going on right now. So with trust in my heart, openness to what is unfolding and acceptance for myself as this happens, join me in recognising: – All is Well Right Now. All is as it should be. Fear is present and I can simply breathe with it. It is welcome. Take good care of yourselves in this time dear ones, tie your camels down, do what you can to support your immune system, eat well, sleep well, take deep breathes every now and again, and make your home into a sweet temple that you can enjoy nesting in for a while. And don’t forget to stay close to your practices, whatever they may be, let them support you during this time, to bring a sense of calm, compassion and strength to the body, the mind and your heart. With Love Naseem