PRACTICES TO EASE PANDEMIC PANIC

PRACTICES TO EASE PANDEMIC PANIC

 by Hollister Rand

Loved ones in spirit as well as guides and angels can help us navigate the current situation and to understand events not only as they may affect us individually but also humanity as a whole. Throughout the years, I’ve communicated with spirits who have experienced war, severe economic disruption, famine, genocide and devastation of all kinds. Perhaps this is the very time we can learn the most from them.

 As we all adjust to the new norms of social distancing and drastic changes in the economic forecast, we can adopt habits which can keep us present and connected to each other and the spirits. Here are four categories and practices which can foster connections:

 LOVE – When we or someone we love is hurting, caring touch is the natural response. But how do we express love when physical touch can spread harm? We can share love the way the spirits do! Loved ones in spirit do not have physical bodies and yet that doesn’t diminish the expressive power of their love.

 At San Francisco events just prior to the Shelter in Place Directive, I introduced the practice of heart hugging. This is a simple way to share love with one another in a way that can be powerfully felt, connecting us all heart to heart.

 How to Hug Someone with Your Heart (whether they are in your presence or not).

1. Sit or stand silently, eyes open.

2. Look into the eyes of the person or pet you want to “heart hug.” If the person or pet isn’t in your presence, you may also gaze at a photo or create an image in your mind.

3. As you gaze into the eyes of your loved one, you may feel your heart space (in the center of your chest) begin to expand.

4. Take a moment to appreciate the feeling of growing love.

5. Direct the love energy of your heart space toward the person you love. 

6. Allow the love energy to “boomerang” back to your heart creating a love loop. 

7. Sit with this feeling of love and connection.

 Once you’ve mastered and enjoyed the “heart hug” you can expand the practice to include your neighborhood, your state, the country, the world and beyond. Know that the spirits will help to share the healing power of your love.

 JOY – I know that feeling joy at times like these might seem impossible. I’m not talking about joy in the sense of a fleeting moment of happiness at a graduation or upon receiving a desired gift. Joy isn’t transient - - rather, it is a deep well within each of us which bubbles up when needed and called upon.

 The way to engender joy is to practice gratitude. Gratitude is also the easiest and fastest way to connect with the spirits. This is simply because when we are grateful, there is an acknowledgement that something outside of ourselves contributes to our wellbeing. In other words, when we’re grateful for the sunshine after a storm, we’re also acknowledging that we didn’t make the sunshine. As we express gratitude for all that we have (yes, even a sufficient supply of toilet paper), we are unable to focus on what we don’t have - - our brains don’t allow us to be grateful and angry at the same time.

 When we’re living gratefully, joy abounds. Laughter and singing may suddenly erupt as we’ve seen on balconies of Italian apartment houses in recent days. And wherever there is joy, the spirits are there, also.

 PEACE – When our nervous systems are ramped up to the max, and the fight or flight response is incessantly activated, our psychic and spirit guidance systems may shut down. But there is a way to reset and recharge these systems. Simply invite peace into daily life and shift out of fear (from actual or imagined threats) by adopting a meditation practice.

 You may have heard the buzz about Mindfulness Meditation. Maybe now is the time to experience what that buzz is about. UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center has free guided meditations on their website which can be extremely helpful to new meditators. The Calm app is another resource offering daily guided meditations, relaxing music and sleep stories to help you power down the anxieties of the day.  

 TRANSFORMATION - - In times of crisis, we focus on what is important. The pettiness of daily life drops away and the big questions around life, death and purpose are thrown into high relief. Even so, it may seem inappropriate to suggest that spiritual transformation can occur during times of physical threat. Well, actually, it is during times of great stress that the speed of personal “aha” moments and the expression self-compassion and compassion for others can speed up the process of spiritual growth. As more of us become isolated and experience dark nights of the soul, metaphoric wanderings in the desert and adopt a monastic existence we can embrace these times as opportunities for escalated transformation. Rather than putting off contemplation and deep personal exploration until things get back to normal, embrace it now. Our world and way of life is being transformed - - let’s transform as well.

 The presence of spirits in our lives reminds us how to love ourselves and one another - - and how to be the best we can be. Love, peace, joy and transformation are not only possible in this fraught time but possibly the best answer to the pain and suffering faced by so many. 

 Now is the time to practice self-love and love one another, experience joy through gratitude, choose peace over fear and allow chaos, uncertainty and change to invite transformation. We (spirits included) are all in this together.

 Hollister Rand provides specific messages from loved ones living in the spirit world. Her first book, I’m Not Dead, I’m Different, is available in stores and online. Hollister’s second book, Everything You Wanted to Know about the Afterlife, published by Beyond Words/Atria (Simon & Schuster) is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her radio appearances include Coast to Coast with George Noory, Sirius XM’s, The Séance with John Edward and television appearances include America Now and Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. You may contact Hollister at HollisterRand@gmail.com or on Facebook and learn more about her work at www.HollisterRand.com.