#stayprotected

Eleven days into 2022 and my anxiety is up and down once more. Decisions being taken by the UK PM and dealing with autism and anxiety around Covid-19, continue to send my mental health into overdrive.

I and many like me, need the UK government to keep the physical procedures in place so that we can stay protected. We may become ‘political guinea pigs,’ with the UK PM set to outline his plans for the UK for us ‘to live with Covid-19.’ I am hoping this pie in the sky decision, will be another u-turn.

For the many people who are high risk and who are already for the most part self-isolating, we may not stay protected if this happens. We, like many others, can still catch Covid and long-covid through meet ups, without the necessary precautionary measures in place.

Two years in and there will be thousands of people who inevitably will be less protected now, unless they continue to vaccinate and already that’s a sticking point with many. Many people were settled on a double-jab and the mandatory booster, but are now beginning to re-think the jabs. For those who are continuing to vaccinate, they will be on their fourth vaccine.

If the papers are to be believed, many of the provisions in place such as LFTs and self-isolation are going to be reduced, or withdrawn, as the country is being told to live with Covid. People like me who rely on lateral flow tests to meet up with family will struggle to successfully do that if the mandatory tests are scrapped.

Although they are still expected to be used in high risk settings such as care homes, hospitals and schools. Cost cutting measures such as these, will affect our physical and mental wellbeing lives in Covid, for those who are no longer eligible. (Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com).

Even if you’re not high risk, it is going to prove difficult. Any potential chaos of the PM’s decisions, and of the likely human and economic cost if and when restrictions are lifted, may come later with the further rising of Covid cases and people falling foul of the virus and who are not in a position to work. It is difficult to see how what is intended, can be anything but good.

In the meantime, people like me who are high risk, rely on LFTs to keep us safe, so that family are free to come and go without the risk of spreading infection. Not everyone with this test, will know if they are positive for Covid, until they present with symptoms. With the test and trace also having gone by the wayside, LFT’s are our lifeline.

Also, countries who have already relaxed restrictions such as the Netherlands and Israel have reimposed social restrictions again, so we may have more reimposed social restrictions again. (Source: https://www.theguardian.com)

What is happening is a dangerous start to 2022, but each of us have the power to rise above. When it comes to Covid, being mindful is everything. It is important to take control of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

I need to think about and look at Covid-19 differently, so that I am more chilled and less anxious about it. For those who are being careful, we need to continue to tell ourselves that our life is now on continual hold until the government stops putting his party before the people; for the government to stop thinking that one size fits all as far as the jabs are concerned. The stats show otherwise.

I know that understanding my life is now permanently on hold, is the first step. Truthfully, I’ve struggled with that, but I know I can’t change the politicians who have made it clear, they’re not willing to keep the precautionary measures in place to keep us safe. But now you have to ask, what kind of government does that?

Don't Let Everyone Read You

Today, I completed day 2 of my in-person Shamanic training.  Today was quite intense to say the least.  I felt an array of emotions from sheer happiness to deep sadness to anger.  This fluxuation in emotion all came as a result of other people's energy.  Before going to class, I felt the need to go back to the park where we met yesterday to reconnect with the trees there.  I found those trees to be very healing and cleansing.  I put my hands on the trees.  I hugged the trees.  I spoke to the trees. By the time I left to go to the training, I was feeling pretty darn good.   Unfortunately, all of those feelings of positivity dissipated when we began to engage in activities that involved a lot of touching and close contact.  I for one, am one who is very protective of both my personal space and energy so being in close contact with a bunch of strangers whom I am supposed to allow to touch me and act like I enjoy it, was not a nourishing experience for me.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  It felt very smothering and somewhat violating.  What further ruined this experience for me was the fact that I was told to pair up with someone whose energy I did not like at all to do readings on each other.

Now, as I mentioned, I have always been protective of my personal space.  While working with my mentor I was told the importance of maintaining my personal space and boundareies. I was also told to NOT let just anyone read me and my energy field.  Lastly, I was told to not let everyone hold hands with me.  Well, you know what, I was told to do ALL of these things during this training.  This forced pairing and reading just led to an experience that ultimately uncomfortable and somewhat triggering for both myelf and probably for the other person involved.   This was not at all helpful or beneficial.  What it did do is further confirm to me the importance of NOT allowing everyone to read me.

These are the many reasons why this felt like quite an uncomfortable experience for me.  There were several times when I just wanted to get up and leave.  I actually almost did twice, but I felt compelled to stay.  The reason that I stayed is that Iknew that there could be informtion that I could gain from this experience.  As my grandfather would say "Eat the meat and spit out the bone" which basically means take in the information that is beneficial and ignore the rest. This is how I look at this experience.  

Overall, the experience was beneficial in that it taught me many things.  I reconnected with a power animal that I missed.  I met some awesome people with awesome energy.  I interacted with people who like myself need and want to connect with Gaia.  I was reminded of the importance for me in doing so.   The experience confirmed for me that I work better individually when it comes to spiritual practice. It also let me know why I felt such a feeling of going back and forth about this specific training.  It's as if I already knew there would be drama involved and wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to deal with it.

Of course I still came home and smudged. I smudged myself. I smudged my bag that I took with me and everything.  I lit my candles. Now, I am about to go listen to shamanic drums or tibetan singing bowls and lay with my crystals.