Recently I completed training to become the Women’s Wellness Circle host for the Ottawa-West area and was very excited to start preparing for my launch. With the unfolding of our current global events, much has shifted and been put “on hold”, including the launch date of my new Circle.

The past two weeks have been filled with many waves of emotion, shifting from feeling positive and optimistic to sad, angry, hopeless, fearful, overwhelmed and spiritually confused.

I’ve been allowing myself to be present to these waves and to feel, trusting my body and my experience, although sometimes anxiously waiting for it to end.  Eventually I experienced a shift to a place of inner peace and tranquility that has sustained. This space has offered me some clarity that I feel called to share.

My personality is governed by the archetype of “Seeker”, and my astrological sun sign is Aquarius.  Therefore, this whole issue of pandemic has me feeling called to dig deeper, search for greater meaning, direction and purpose.

I truly believe that every experience holds a different meaning and significance for each individual and that it is up to us to explore and discover what our experiences mean for our unique selves.

As a holistic nutritionist, my understanding of symptoms in the body is that they are simply messages… whispers or sometimes screams, drawing our attention to an imbalance. These symptoms are simply language, a way the body uses to communicate a need or an issue that needs to be addressed.

I view the Covid-19 virus as a symptom that is calling our attention to an underlying global issue, our relationship with this beautiful planet. I sense that the way humanity as a whole is interacting and inhabiting the planet is an imbalance that needs our attention.  Mama Earth has been expressing the need for our attention, consideration, care and support for some time.  Now she is speaking more clearly and directly than ever before.  The message I sense is this:

“People, Stop.  Look, Listen, Feel.  Stop the Distraction.  Open your Eyes, your Minds, your Hearts.  Connect inwardly. Dig those Heels into the Roots of the Earth.  Become one with Nature’s Pulse and Rhythm, the Home to our Collective Immunity. Unplug the devices.  Allow your nervous system to Settle, Ground and Relax.”

We have been instructed to socially isolate. I prefer to consider this a divine invitation to go inward and engage in self-care and to “cocoon” that has the capacity to naturally result in tremendous personal transformation.

This is a time to reconnect with our true selves, to investigate our personal values and what is meaningful to us, to reflect on the life we have created for ourselves and consider whether it aligns with our truth, and our heart and soul.

Choosing to trust this process means accepting that we are temporarily meant to distance from one another, knowing that we will reunite enlivened, recharged, and renewed, ready for deeper, more meaningful and productive connection.

Once we have done our work individually, we will be able to step forward as a collective and take incredible measures toward healing humanity and healing our planet.

I feel it. I believe it. Do you?

To assist us in this process of solitude, here are some practical self-care measures:

• Eat whole, natural foods from the plant world. Plant foods not only provide nourishment but also increase our vibration, our energy and our essence.
• Move your body in ways that feel gentle and natural. Stretching, yoga, dancing, walking.
• Connect with nature. Walk, wander, hike, garden, explore.
• Meditate, reflect, write, read, pray, breathe deeply.
• Sing, listen to music, play, craft, laugh and love.
• Choose carefully what and how much you engage online. In response to our social isolation, many online opportunities have been created. Some are wonderful ways to uplift, inspire and maintain some form of connection with one another. However, if not mindful, we can easily get lost amongst these opportunities and turn toward them as a way to deny, distract and numb.
• Honour this time with sacred respect.  Practice letting go of attachment to outcome.  Some positive affirmations that work well for me are:  “I am willing to let go.  I release all tension, worry, fear and sorrow.  I let go, and I am at peace.  I am at peace with the process of life.  I am safe.”

Last but not least, let’s all look forward with positive anticipation to when we can all reunite in person. The celebrations, hugs and group sharing will be extra magical when the time comes!

A big thank you to Jill, for inviting me to be a part of the Women’s Wellness Circle family. I am truly honoured to be bringing this to life in Ottawa and look forward to sharing and connecting with a renewed sense of grace, insight, appreciation and gratitude once we are through this.

Much Love and respect,

Natasha

Wellness Educator and Advisor

https://www.facebook.com/natasha.g.villeneuve

naturallynatashav@gmail.com