You Can Be In It and Not Fear It- Part I
March 11, 2020
Learning to Code Starts Early in Sendai, Japan
March 26, 2020
SENDAI UNLOCKED – by
Lena Takahashi, Healing Land Reiki
Convid-19 in Sendai- But We Can Be Serene
When people outside of Japan hear that I live there, they usually ask me ”So, what is it like to live in Japan?”
Many people have their own ideas about life in Japan. They imagine living in a dream world of mangas, anime, robots, technologies, sushi, green tea, and the list goes on and on.
I also had my own image of Japan. I arrived in Japan before the internet was as it is now. As you can imagine, my first idea of Japan was that everyone wore hakama and kimono. I thought my daily clothes would have been kimono. I was a bit anxious and thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” Obviously, my opinion has changed (smile).
One thing I can say after many years of living here is that Japan is a country that will either bring out the best or the worst in you. From my experience, I can say that sometimes having the worst in you brought out can be the beginning of being guided to develop the best in you.
Currently, the world is experiencing something that we have never experienced before. Depending on where you are, you can be affected more or less than others. I feel like life is also challenging or training us in many ways to be the best or opposite version of ourselves.
Will you choose to have compassion for yourself and others or go in the opposite direction?
It’s all a personal choice which side you choose to lean in order to move through all of this. Yes, I want to let you know that we always have a choice!
By just knowing that can be a game-changer for you.
Step Out of the Collective Consciousness
Each of us has different views on the situation. But how we handle the situation we are in is essential. We sometimes get influenced by other people and situations. In the middle or the end of it. Then we might find ourselves saying or doing something we normally wouldn’t.
Haven’t you had a situation at work, family or public gatherings that weren’t ideal? Sometimes or often you find yourself “blended” with decisions and emotions of everyone else’s and it feels like it was also yours?
But when you get quiet, you regret your behavior that was moved by other people’s actions?
We are all humans and making mistakes is a part of our human experience.
One thing I have found helpful is to try to step out of collective consciousness by getting quiet and doing an “on the spot” brief meditation.
I try to step out of the energetic space where many people usually remain in those situations. Unfortunately, very often it is a dark place based on unkindness, fears, anger, judgments and so on.
The Tools That I Use
I have many tools that help me to step out of it. This small meditation helps me to center myself and keep the focus on my goals and relax:
⚫︎ I imagine that I am in a crowded place(or place where I am at the moment).
⚫︎ I visualize that I am slowly stepping out there and walking or climbing upstairs to a quiet place.
⚫︎ From there, I try to see or ask to be shown the situation from a different perspective, what’s the lesson I need to learn and if there are any solutions beyond my imagination?
As I am doing this, trusting that all is happening for a greater reason is one of the doorways to receive peace, needed guidance to move through the difficult times.
This has worked for me and I am sharing it with you.
As for me personally, I have had pluses and minuses that occurred with this global shutdown situation.
How did it affect you, apart from the fact that everyone is constantly talking and posting on social media about it?
Have there been any significant changes in your life?
How about the following:
⚫︎Have you been so busy that you never had time for yourself? And now you can breathe a little bit?
⚫︎Have you wished you would have more time to spend with your children? And did the quarantine make it happen?
⚫︎You can now sleep longer or finally can read or write a book?
⚫︎Maybe you’ve been asked to leave your job or you were thinking about changing professions anyway, and life made it happen faster for you? So now you can change your life and fulfill your life purpose by finding a job that will bring you joy?
⚫︎You were thinking about proposing to your girlfriend on her graduation ceremony in front of 1000 people? The graduation ceremonies being canceled actually saved you from a huge trauma of your proposal being denied in front of many people? And you realized later that you are glad it didn’t happen?
A bit of advice for people who are new to meditation. You can use podcast guided meditations for different purposes. Feel free to search which channel feels good for you. Here are a few channels that I use:
They have many people and different meditations that you can choose from.
⚫︎Meditation Station by Stin Hansen
I particularly use her 2 meditations when I can’t sleep due to stress. I don’t know what I would do without it.
ZZZZ….( the name of meditation for sleep)
We may not be able to change the situation but we have the choice of how we perceive and handle it.
When we choose to empower and elevate our actions, it can help us to move through the tough times of our lives. A positive approach will attract positive and practical solutions.
