Finding enlightenment in a time of quarantine

I’ve been thinking about what to say in these strange times of social distancing and self-isolating to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. I’ve found comfort in online communities and virtual gatherings in the last couple days, and I’m grateful we live in an age where all of this is so easy to do. But as important as it is to find ways to stay connected, this time is also asking us to isolate, and there is beauty in isolation, too. As an introvert, I’ve been finding a silver lining in the extra time alone. I am someone who is energized by time spent in my own company, and am often drained by social gatherings; when things get canceled, my first reaction is usually relief to have an unexpected night off with no plans.

This morning I picked up the book Touching Enlightenment by Reginald A. Ray, a buddhist teacher and scholar. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years; another benefit of more time at home is that I’m noticing things that I usually glance over. In the book Ray describes the tradition of Buddhist practitioners going into the “forest” – or jungles of India – to seclude themselves from society and devote themselves to a spiritual practice. 

In our current society, this tradition has all but disappeared, and it’s hard for any of us to find either the time or the physical space to go into the forest. Ray puts forth a beautiful idea: that our own bodies are forests we can retreat into, full of mysteries and wonder. He quotes the Buddhist sage Saraha: “There is no place of pilgrimage as fabulous and open as this body of mine, no place more worth exploring.” 

I love this idea. No matter what your circumstances right now, no matter where you find yourself, you have your body. You have a chance to inhabit it more fully, and to use it to bring you into the wonder, pleasure and vibrance of the present moment. 

A Practice for Finding Pleasure Through the Senses

One of my favorite meditations, learned from my Ayurvedic teacher Katie Silcox, is the practice of finding pleasure through the five senses. It is a very accessible way to connect to the body, and can truly be done anywhere, at any time. I recommend starting with it as a morning meditation, and then letting it seep into your life. Here’s how I do it:

Find a place to sit comfortably, either inside or outside. If you’re able to, gather a few goodies: a candle, a cup of tea, some essential oil or spices from your cabinet, maybe a small beloved object. If you don’t have any of this, no problem. Take a minute to close your eyes and feel your breath. Then, begin your journey through your five senses. 

1. Smell. If you have an essential oil, cup of tea, or jar of spice, take a moment to inhale the fragrance. Really absorb yourself in the sensations of the smell, and focus on how it registers as pleasure in your body. Let yourself enjoy it. After a minute, let that sensation go and feel your breath again. 
2. Taste. If you have a beverage or a snack handy, indulge in that sip or bite. Again, focus on the feeling of pleasure that it brings. If you don’t have anything, you can just taste the air on your tongue, and focus on the sensations in your mouth. 
3. See. If you have a candle burning, you can look softly into the flame; or simply look out into your environment and let your gaze rest on whatever it finds beautiful.
4. Touch. Run your hands over your own body, feel the fabric of your clothes. Let yourself find pleasure within the varied textures. How does it feel in your body to notice this? 
5. Hear. Whatever noises you hear in your environment, try not to judge them, but simply experience them as waves of sound coming into your ears. If you’re having trouble or getting distracted by sounds, you can also turn on a song you love, and let yourself experience the sonic joy of music! 

While taking this journey through all five senses is lovely, I also like to choose one sense each day, and do a shorter practice. This gives me a beautiful reference point to return to throughout the day. For example: this morning I could choose to work with sight. I would take a few minutes in my morning meditation to sit with eyes open, connecting to the beauty of vision and experiencing pleasure through my eyes. Then, I could set my alarm at various intervals throughout the day as a reminder to come back to this practice. No matter what I am doing, I would take a moment to let my eyes find something beautiful, to rest on this object, and find pleasure in the sensation. 

It’s a known fact that whatever we are looking for, we will find more of. Once you set yourself up for this practice, it will become more automatic and you may find yourself coming back to the simple pleasures of the body more and more throughout the day. 

Starting tomorrow (Monday, March 16th), I will be working with one of the five senses each day for five days. With what may be a chaotic and uncertain week ahead, I encourage you to join me in this very grounding practice. Whether you are quarantined alone in your apartment, stuck at home with your kids all week, or working at a grocery store trying to manage fights over toilet paper and hand soap, I promise that you can find the time to do this one thing. 

If you want to follow along on Instagram, you can find me @she_who_flows. I’ll be sharing my own practice and reminders for the five days. 

We’re all in this together. Find ways to connect but also find ways to be alone. And if you are staying home, remember what George Harrison said:

Without going out of your door

You can know all things on earth

Without looking out of your window

You could know the ways of heaven

The farther one travels

The less one knows

The less one really knows