We Are All First Responders Now

Shelter in place takes on a new, deeper meaning.

Nelly Kavaldjiev

Articles\Nature, Articles\Sanctuary

family, fire, first responders, meditation, mindful, mindfulness, natural disaster, pandemic, sanctuary, shelter in place, wildfire

As an Amazon Associate, Breathe Together Yoga earns from qualifying purchases.

I breathe, slowly and mindfully, although not as deeply as I would like to. All the windows in the house are tightly closed. It’s 105 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside. The air conditioning is not on, due to the power shortage – and because it will bring in the unwelcome air from outside.

The air outside is brown. There is no blue in the sky. Nothing moves, and it feels as if nothing breathes out there. People don’t venture out of their homes. Even the bees are hidden in some refuge known only to them. Only the eerie quietness lingers together with the ominous pink-brownish haze: thick, heavy, and unbreathable.

We are among the lucky ones. There are people I know whose homes perished in the fiery inferno. Others, staying with friends after being evacuated, only hope that the flames raging all around will spare the houses they left in a hurry.

We are simply in the midst of the thick, unbreathable haze, and this is a reason to be grateful. We are not ordered to pack our lives in a few bags and urgently leave. We appreciate the moment deeper, hurting for those who are not spared by yet another calamity. Two nights ago, 10,800 lightning strikes sparked 367 fires in the Bay Area. There was a fire tornado. The temperatures have been breaking records for days. The ominous word that screams from everywhere is “unprecedented.” Now we all turn into first responders, one way or another: checking on each other, helping with food and shelter, digging the earth around a neighbor’s house, hoping to break the deadly path of the blaze.

The twilight tries to penetrate within. The time becomes irrelevant, measured only by the sparse updates on the fires’ containment. Shelter in place takes on a new, deeper meaning.

I need to break out of the daunting unrest that possesses me. It’s time to breathe, as absurd as it might sound right now. I put a few drops of pure lavender oil in a tiny spray bottle and fill the rest of it with water before spraying the air in the room. The oil is too precious to be used more lavishly. The scent carries the scents of the faraway fields of my native land. There, in Bulgaria and everywhere in Europe, the pandemic is in the past. It’s summer there, a time to relax and enjoy life as usual. Overseas, people probably hear on the news that there are fires burning in California. “Well, it’s a rich state,” they say. “It will manage.” And they move on with their daily lives.

I don’t wish to be there. I don’t try to escape. My family and I are here – together.

I breathe. The subtle fragrance, or maybe just the idea of it, refreshing the heavy air begins to work its magic on me. My mind believes its calming reassurance. It allows the senses to hug it like a teddy bear, soothing and softening the sharpness of the sensations within. The body craves the stillness, mindful not to waste too much energy. The room is painted in a sunlight color, which contrasts bravely the murkiness outside. I find myself surrendering to the rhythm of a meditation I’ve learned from Mark Nepo’s beautiful Book of Awakening. I open my eyes and breathe slowly, taking in all there is in the moment, contained in five conscious breaths. I close my eyes and invite myself to imagine what I want from the moments within the next five breaths. Then it’s time to reverse the process: with my eyes open, I imagine what I want. Closing the eyes brings me to what I have. Then, reversing again. Twenty or thirty minutes have passed. Who’s counting? What I want is what I have.

Nelly Kavaldjiev

Nelly teaches yoga as a practice of self-discovery and self-acceptance. She guides her students – adults, kids, and families – to always step on the yoga mat with the open and pure curiosity of a child. She leads trainings for school teachers on incorporating yoga and mindfulness in the classroom. Nelly considers creativity to be an essential, innate quality in every person, and she loves to express it through writing, wholistic teaching, cooking, gardening, and in her most important work - parenting. To visit her blog site, visit https://www.shelteringwithin.com.

A Sleep Manifesto – Sleep First Then Rock Your Life

Let’s explore why we need more rest.

Shine Your Way to Firefly | Izumi Sato

We aim to improve the flexibility of hamstrings and shoulders, as well as the strength in the arms, thigh adductors, and the core. Variations are offered to develop the sense of balance on the arms. It is an exploration of your own expression in Firefly, whatever stage of life you’re in.

Introduction to the Buddhist Mudras | Izumi Sato

Mudras are highly stylized and symbolized as non-verbal communication. In this introduction to the Buddhist mudras, we will learn five Buddhist mudras and the mudras of the five wisdoms, or five Buddhas. After learning the forms and meanings of the mudras, it’s fun to observe the arts such as Buddha sculptures and paintings.

Chanting Gayatri Mantra With Mudras | Izumi Sato

In this mantra, the 24 Mudras are practiced while chanting the Gayatri Mantra which has 24 syllables. Gayatri Mantra is dedicated to Savitri, a Vedic sun deity. Among various translations of the mantra, I introduce the first line by Tias Little and the rest of the lines by Swami Vivekananda.

6 Ways To Develop Healthy Habits This Summer

Forming new habits or having a different mindset can be a challenge, so how long does it take to form a new, healthy habit?

I am Imperfect and Totally Lovable, Just Like You

As we all come out of isolation, I find myself teetering between wanting to hang back in the world of the remote, or to bring myself deeply into community.