It’s Monday! We are all experiencing different levels of social distancing, self quarantining and shelter in place.

Some people are in states that mandated everyone wait a bit longer before they come together in community spaces.

Others are in states that are moving forward, to allow people to come together, despite the data. The numbers of ill on the rise from the virus and number of people who lost their lives to a new virus that we are still at the early stages of understanding in all its complexities.

The daily stresses and demands of life that kept us from being idle abruptly stopped. Business stopped or went remote and the world stood still.

As we sat at home, what we had left of our blind fold or rose colored glasses soon revealed a world that we barely knew. The light was so bright and so harsh that may people had to close their eyes because of the harsh sting.

Conversations about online school, children having enough food to eat, keeping the homeless safe, keeping health care workers safe, conversations about essential works and what “essential” means etc. all came to the surface as each day passed.

We also talked about what was lost, the life as we knew it, loved ones who died that people were not able to see, prom, graduations for high school and college, first generation graduates, jobs etc.

We were and still are in a world of grief.

Truths are still rising to the surface.

One such truth just surfaced in the last few weeks and that is the conversation about the difference between necessity and luxury.

Some people want to be in community for their mental health or physical health, but others simply want to go back to luxuries like getting a hair cut, getting their hair colored, getting their nails done, going to the gym, going golfing or going to a country club etc.

All of these activities are aspects of personal hygiene or self care, but they are not essential. They are all first world luxuries to some extent, that people with disposable income may take for granted, but are not necessary when your life or the life of another is on the line.

As a yoga instructor, I know how important it is to move the body. As a group facilitator, I know the importance of connection and community on the mental health and well-being of everyone. We are fortune to live during a time where we have phones, email, internet and video chat. We don’t have to wait a week or more to get a telegram or get mail by horse.

Social distancing is asking us to be real. Real about our habits, real about world truths and real about ourselves.

This Mindful Monday consider one thing that you believe you can not live with out. Decide if that object, item or activity is a necessity or luxury. Then, reflect on when in your life you started to need that item or grew dependent on it.

Can you dare to be real and be seen in a little bit of a truer light.

Allow your true hair color to come to surface with perhaps a few grays showing, allow your face to be less polished showing a few wrinkles and allow your life to be simpler a bit longer for the health and safety of the collective.

Love, Stephanie – XO