Stop being sardines in a tin-5/40 candles against COVID-19

I am not crazy about the ‘on the hour, every hour’ news watching, but today I couldn’t avoid the blaring cautions resounding via the global box, which we call television. We might have now triggered a lockdown due to our inability to be flexible and adapt to any change. Hence, it’s clear: we not only need to change our pre-conceived thoughts for our spiritual advent, but also for cleansing our socio-physical aura. This is the nature of being human that we learn from our mistakes- and that is alright so long we are learning, but most of the times we are extremely resistant to a lesson even if it slaps us in the face. Our history is a testimony to this effect. This thought gave me a mission for the day, which I would like to share with my readers. I closed my eyes and grounded myself in a quiet sanctuary in the house and contemplated deeply on a question, ‘Could we defeat COVID-19 by changing our stubborn predisposition?’ I really felt the word that resounded in my mind- ‘yes’, ‘yes’ and ‘yes’. But how? By valuing our own life and respecting the right of others to live. How exactly are we going to execute this action? I can think of the following 6 steps to get closer to a healthier life beyond coronavirus: 1) If we can’t keep healthy apple with a decaying one in order to prevent cross contamination, then that’s exactly what we need to do towards each other, especially when we don’t know who is a carrier. Leonardo da Vinci designed a new city during the plague, and we need to redesign a healthier society. 2) Give a breathing space to all our loved ones. We don’t need to socialise like sardines in a tin. Moreover, technology has helped us to keep in touch with one another remotely. If we were spending absolute hours calling, texting, skyping, emailing our loved ones in healthier times, then why can’t we do so as the need of the hour now? 3) Stay healthy by thinking about good times, for example- what a beautiful world would it be past the virus! Plagues have come and plagues have gone in the past, so present time can’t be an exception. Consider as if self-isolation is an admission into a health spa, which comes with strict regime and utter resistance from every fibre in the body at first; but then both body and mind accept the change and its advantages. Some examples of indoor exercises : yoga, dance, meditation, prepare a menu for healthy eating, painting, cross-words, sudoku and so much else. 4) This is an opportunity for the earth to heal, give our mother planet that space. It’s an opportunity to directly contribute towards reducing the effects of global warming- less consumerism except for necessities of course, less air and land pollution, and so on. Consider that we are building a new world for us and our progeny. 5) Life is not a conveyer belt, so slow-down and chill. No more wishing it was a Sunday, at least temporarily ( I say this while saluting the heroes of the society- Doctors, Police, Fire fighters, food outlet workers, public transport drivers, etc.) this is the time to watch your favourite programmes on the tele, read that abandoned book on the shelf, or just glide with your fancy. Imagine, imagine, imagine and get to that hobby you have forsaken for so long. 6) Widen the horizon of your thinking- this land is not a private estate for only human beings, it is a union territory to be shared by all God’s creatures. We have kept many members of the animal community out of their habitats, now if we stay inside our own homes for a while, they could recuperate some of their loss. This is a burden on every man and woman, and here’s an opportunity to pay back some of the Nature’s loan.