A Letter to Coronavirus/COVID-19
By Lisa Capa
Dear Coronavirus-COVID/19,
I currently don’t personally know anyone who is infected by you, nonetheless I read and hear about the impact you are having on humankind. The authorities call you a “global pandemic,” and tell me I am to do my part to prevent the spread of you onto my family, friends, community and humankind in general. I am listening to these authorities and doing what I can to help stop the spread.
I also want to listen to you. I’ve read letters and blog posts from others who have written from your perspective. Many are touching and eye-opening. What comes to me as I read about and try to listen to you is a vision I had in 2004 that I call Big Life. It was a pivotal moment that changed my life’s direction.
What I learned in this experience with Big Life is the precious interconnection we have with each other and with some greater consciousness. Interconnections probably include plants and other animals, but I witnessed something specific to us humans.
What touched my heart in that experience was how a person who was not well on the other side of the world impacted all others no matter how remote they were and no matter how well they felt. The vibrations of an ill individual move throughout the world subject to affecting our overall vibrancy. A lower vibrancy affects all of us whether we consciously feel it or not.
As I remember this experience, my thought that I’m not really affected by you like others who are more affected is an illusion. Of course, I’m affected by not being able to be physically close to my family and friends, by not going to teach my grand-niece math at her home, by watching my retirement savings dwindle down. But even as I comply with the stay-at-home order from the Governor, I’m directly affected by you in that our total vibrancy is lower. Our overall vibrancy is subject to being lowered by the ill health of those around the world with COVID-19; as well as by those around the world with stress for their circumstances, with stress for ill ones they may be close to, and with stress for the uncertainty of these times.
Being surrounded by our lower vibrancy of these times, how can I be with that reality and do my part to positively affect this vibrancy while I stay at home?
The teachings of my spiritual practice and my reflections on the Big Life experience help guide me. As I read in the Seattle Times and New York Times about what is happening in the world, it would be easy for me to get stuck into a negative thought pattern: “The Federal Government is not doing enough to help our state to get the medical supplies that we need.” “People are not sufficiently practicing the social distancing guidelines.” “Those people attacking Asians in the US because of what is happening are so ignorant.” And so on and so on. This thought pattern is stressful to me mentally and physically and is subject to negatively impacting our overall vibrancy.
But I can also choose to focus on the inquiry: What is the gift in this situation? The letters and blog posts I have read from your perspective are saying that you are here to slow us down, to invite us to spend time with those close to us, to spend time in reflection, to be out in nature, to find out what really matters. These are all useful things to do and to think about and are subject to positively adding to our overall vibrancy.
What comes to me as I reflect on how I can maintain a more positive thought pattern is to take the time to also listen beyond the usual authorities; to listen to nature and to the surrounding mystery that provides us light that is always available amid difficult times such as these. In that quest to listen at a deeper, broader level, I feel the connective tissue of love, of peace, and of a nurturing holding. Bathed in this energy, I feel the raising of my vibrancy, which positively adds to the overall vibrancy, however subtly.
So, dear COVID-19, as I focus my attention on increasing my vibrancy, I am possibly helping others indirectly. As I talk to my friends and family from this more positive space, I am possibly helping others directly by helping them to touch into this space.
As I wrote earlier, I don’t know of anyone personally who is infected by you. But what if it were to happen to my husband, to my son, to my brothers or anyone in their family, or even myself? Could I keep up this practice of focusing again and again my attention to maintaining a more positive thought pattern? It is easier when I’m not so personally affected. I can’t say for sure that I could easily maintain this practice when I am or someone in my family or dear friends are affected. But what I can say is that I want to, I need to, and I will keep up this practice so that this way of paying attention is strengthened.
Thank you, COVID-19. As infectious as the authorities say you are, I aspire to be captivated more by positivity, well-being and peace.
Sincerely,
Lisa Capa
24 Comments
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for taking action in a positive, constructive way. I really like Big Life that you talk about. I know that many are having challenges and experience difficulties and I also believe that within all of this there are also opportunities.
Hugs,
Rob
Hi My Friend! Thank you for your 2nd comment 🙂 I wholeheartedly agree to your statement: ” I know that many are having challenges and experience difficulties and I also believe that within all of this there are also opportunities.” Good for all of us to know this!
Lisa,
Thank you for this thoughtful and heartfelt letter. A higher vibration is something we all can do/be. It nourishes hope, which I believe connects the polarity of grief and gratitude so apparent with the Covid experience.
Peace and healing to you and all of your communities.
Stay healthy
Thank you, John! I like your statement: “It nourishes hope, which I believe connects the polarity of grief and gratitude so apparent with the Covid experience.” I would add that nourishing our ability to care is another gift in this COVID experience and connects the polarity you mentioned.
Thank you for this post, Lisa. I really liked it! I was also feeling the negative vibration of being exposed to the news, specially from Brazi,l where my parents and relatives are. I have two grandmothers in their nineties, and I’ve been feeling particulary worried. I also like the yielding perspective you bring which is, instead of reacting and looking for what to blame, you start to ask, about how we can be a contribution to others, and what the pandemics will change. I feel that a greater counciousness about our life in society and how we relate to our community is emerging, and this is inherently good. Best regards!
Thank you, Marcela. I like this statement of yours: ” I feel that a greater consciousness about our life in society and how we relate to our community is emerging, and this is inherently good.” I agree that this is what is being asked of us. I pray many will respond in this way!
I appreciate you perspective Lisa! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Thank you, Rob!
Hi Lisa, thank your for sharing this letter! There is a lot that’s quite positive in this situation. I like the perspective of thinking of CoVID -19 as a gift. Shifts will be happening! And I’m positive your positivity does affect your community! ?✨?Jean
Thank you, Jean! And I have no doubt that you teaching Qigong to others positively affects the world. <3
Thank you for sharing these inspiring thoughts Lisa — a way to focus on being instead of doing
Thank you, Quincy! I agree – for some of us it is time to focus on being instead of doing; that way when we get back to more doing (and that will come), we can BE more in the doing. <3
Thank you, Lisa, for reminding us why it can be so difficult even when we are not yet personally affected. The vibration we’re surrounded by, through media and imagery, but also through something we feel deeply within ourselves, tells us of the suffering and fear the world is experiencing. And that we can channel our own energy to add some light from our side of these unchartered waters. I will keep trying, and carry your words.
Hi and thank you, Shawna! As time has progressed, I find that going to the grocery store is harder – not just because certain items on shelves are harder to get and having to practice social distancing, but because the vibes of some of the people are grim. At times these grim vibes are strong. It requires that I build the muscle of attention to redeploy to the positive and not wallow or resist the internal negative thoughts moving through my body (just let them move on through). That way I can just be present with the grim vibes of others and not be swallowed up by them. I, too, will keep trying to tend to my light.
Thank you for echoing so lucidly the part in all this where we are not helpless.
I like your perspective: “we are not helpless.” From a place of victim-hood, it’s hard, if not impossible, to do what we can to be of benefit to others.
A beautiful perspective. In the same way all the parts within our bodies are interconnected, so too are all of us as beings interconnected with each other, nature and the light. Thank you for this!
Thanks, Auky! From Hermes Trismegistus: “As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…” M Trismegistus is purported to be the author of the Hermetic Corpus, a series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism.
A beautiful and moving letter Lisa. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing it with us!
Thank you, Dear Celia!
Well said!
Thank you, Dr. Dawn!
Very nice letter. I’m trying to keep a positive attitude through all this as well. I can only control what I do. So as long as I try my best, that is good enough for me. I am just thankful that I am safe and can continue to work to provide for myself.
Thank you, Olin. Your positive attitude is no doubt a gift to those around you. I, too, am thankful that you are safe and can provide for yourself. Do know that you have quite a support group should you need us.