The Pandemic Yogi

Just as the pandemic was unfolding last March, and we knew not what we were in for, I wrote a piece about my nascent Yoga practice. 

At that time, I had been practicing for a year or so, a very modest practice at that. And while it served me well physically, and mentally to a lesser degree, I was no more enlightened than before I first hit the mat, so to speak.

 

Nonetheless, the Hatha poses and Vinyasa flows were proceeding swimmingly in the early days of the outbreak, keeping me fit and calm as best as could be expected while the death toll started to mount, and food stuffs and toilet paper were in short supply.

 

In late June, however, I was seriously injured in a bicycle accident and fractured four ribs. My practice came to a dead stop.  Little did I know then that it would be months before I could get back to practicing. I made several attempts along the way, only to restrain my ribcage; and if you’ve never had broken ribs, I don’t recommend it.

 

I’ll spare you the gory details, there’s already TMI about everything and everyone on the internet – and in society at large. And by the way, whatever happened to discretion or privacy for that matter?

 

Anyway, my practice has only recently returned; after my last couple of sessions, the rib injury appears to be healed. And so now, I’d like to impart some wisdom on you all, for wisdom is the wellspring of Yogiism; and that’s not even a word…yikes! 

Unfortunately, my ignorance far surpasses my intellect, and life has been a lesson in humility. But take heart, better days are coming, it is only a matter of when, and if you're looking for wisdom, look within.

Joy to the World

Having said that, let me say this: joy can be found in most situations. Unless you or a loved one are suffering a fatal illness, or you're being tortured in a prison camp, or some other dreadful fate has befallen you, life is good, no matter what.

 

Luckily for me, I’ve long relied on my creative impulses to carry me through dark days, and there have been many, some self-inflicted, others the mere stuff of life. With that, I’ve put this year of being locked down to good use, playing my guitar a ton and writing with abandon.

 

Meanwhile, I’ve been delving into the mysteries of quantum mechanics, which has manifested itself in my last series of verses. Trust me, I don’t understand advanced physics, but it certainly is mind blowing. 

There is far more to reality than we can perceive. And the latest science indicates that everything in the cosmos, including us and our consciousness, emanates from matter. We gaze at the planets, stars, galaxies, and universe(s) as if they are something other than ourselves, when we’re all made of the same stuff--protons, neutrons and quarks, oh my!

Of course, this is no great revelation. It’s akin to what they once taught in Sunday school…but the operative word here is science, one that has been thrown around like a political football during these unprecedented times.

 

Surely, we should trust science; look at the advances our species has made since the ancient Greeks. They didn’t come from heaven, a Yogi or space aliens reverse engineering technology for the benefit of humankind, as many seem to believe. 

 

Anyway, scientific progress is what brought us the vaccines and therapeutic treatments that will help to end the pandemic. From what little I understand, mRNA vaccines have been in development for nearly 30 years, so they’re not magic but products of scientific experiment and labor.

So yes, we should trust science; but scientists are human, and humans are highly fallible, prone to mistakes and biases. Even Albert Einstein made numerous mistakes with his mathematical equations, fancy that if you will.

There’s been a lot of misinformation about the SARS-cov2 virus that causes COVID-19, some of which has been peddled by various so-called scientists employed at government agencies. In other words, bureaucrats with an agenda. 

Whether shutting down the economy was the right thing to do remains to be seen. Given that this virus specifically targets the elderly and infirm, perhaps there was another way to go? 

But I am not a scientist, nor have I ever lived through a pandemic before. So what do I know?

In any event, my plan for the time being is to keep a low profile, keep hitting my Yoga mat and continue pursuing my creative musings. They have gotten me nowhere in terms of recognition or financial reward. But the personal satisfaction that comes from working at something day-in, day-out, and getting better at it on my own terms is reason to be cheerful.

And so too is scientific progress, which has nothing to do with the false promises of politicians on both sides of the aisle or new age mysticism.