I keep reading phrases such as ‘In these challenging times’, ‘Given the current situation’, ‘We are making history’ and so on. The bottom line is that for many of us life has changed considerably, almost overnight. Parents are trying to be teachers and home-school their children and for many this is alongside juggling their own work. Some people are now out of work or have had to watch their beloved businesses grind to a halt. Many people are facing an uncertain and scary future and feeling like they’ve had to abandon their customers, clients and employees. Lots of us are adjusting to working from home whilst some people, in key working roles, may feel overwhelmed and busier than ever on the front-line and facing contact with this scary virus every day.

Missing Connections
A common theme amongst all of this is the change to our interactions and sense of being connected to other people, the world in general and those activities that give us joy or help us feel like ourselves. Whether or not you are specifically self-isolating we are all under instruction to minimise our movement and interactions with anyone outside our own households and this can be really tough. We may be missing physical contact and the opportunity to give loved ones a hug or the chance to sit and chew the cud over a cuppa. The sense of isolation and uncertainty is palpable. On top of all these things we are also facing worries about our own health and that of important people in our lives and we may even have lost someone close.

One thing that striking about the situation is that it is affecting the whole world. No country is immune and most are in various states of lockdown. What all this means is that we are having to do things differently and step a little, or a lot, outside our comfort zones.
 

We are now starting our fourth week of lockdown and I was wondering how you are faring?

From my own experience, and that of everyone else I have spoken to, this is a time, more than ever, of real ups and downs. I don't know a single person who hasn't admitted to at least the odd tough day here and there. Anxiety levels are raised, motivation is challenged, (as many of us have to be more self-sufficient at home), sleep may be affected and the sense of isolation is palpable.

We may also find ourselves turning to less healthy habits such as eating, drinking alcohol or smoking more than usual, scrolling endlessly through social media and news sites or spending the day in our pyjamas. It isn’t that most of things aren’t OK in moderation but if we do any of them too much we can start to have problems.
 

Burning sage can be a great way of cleansing negative energies from within our homes, places of work and our own energy system. At the moment many people are feeling more bombarded than normal by the worries and anxieties of the world and the people close to us. This can happen in spite of us generally coming into direct contact with far fewer people than we might be accustomed to.

Reiki can  help us to deal with the wear and tear that effects our body and our aura. Meditation can help us to slow down and rebalance our minds. Burning sage can help us to keep the space we inhabit and our own energy as clean and clear from accumulated negative energies around us as possible.

If you'd like to read more on this topic I would highly recommend an article written by my wonderful Reiki Master and Teacher Chyna Honey, author of Understanding Reiki: From self-care to energy medicine. You can find her excellent article: How to use smoke to cleanse negative energies here.

I have a limited supply of sage bundles, also known as smudge sticks, if you would like me to arrange to post one to you. I have some large bundles for £15 and a twin pack of small bundles for £10. These prices include UK postage. I do also have copies of Chyna's book if you find yourself with a little more time than usual and you fancy doing some reading about Reiki. The cost for those is £10 plus £1.50 postage. 

Take good care of yourself.
Karen

Dr Karen Janes ©
2nd April 2020

I'll be writing some more articles soon. I hope to include some tips and advice to help manage the stress that this difficult time is creating or adding to any existing challenges. I also have some exciting new things coming up that I will be able to offer you online. 

In the meantime please have a read of my most recent newsletter, which tells you a bit more about what I'm up to and how I may be able to help if you're struggling.

I hope you stay safe and well and I am here if I can be of any help at all.