Love In the Time Of Covid

As we live through a pandemic that demands us to physically distance ourselves and isolate from the world around us, in many ways it ironically has forced us create new ways of finding love and connectivity.  Here are some of the surprising and amazing ways that love has found some of us here in this new world we’re living in, in the time of COVID.

Learning to love the outdoors

We’ve all done it – whether you live in the city, in suburbia, near the beach (should you be so lucky), “Covid-ing” in has forced us to go stir-crazy. After spending so many hours staring at four walls, we’re forced outdoors for some fresh air and a change of scenery.  Nothing could be better for the soul than the feel of sunshine on your skin and even just the sight of life around you to restore your spirit and reassure you that a new day is just around the corner and there is still joy in the little things.  Take a moment, take a breath, and take a walk!

Finding love in simple pleasures

I caved.  In this time of sequestering in, I have officially joined the “sourdough starter” club.  After reading blog after blog about everyone’s obsession with making the most amazing loaf of bread from scratch (and as a shameless carb-loader), I rolled up my sleeves one morning, got out the flour and got mixing.  “Martha”, as I named my starter, bloomed happily on my kitchen counter.  I fed her devoutely every day for a week, as instructed.  I came to love the ritual of feeding something as simple as a mixture of flour and water.  When baking day came, the joy of kneading the dough into a perfectly shaped oval, delicately transferring it into the oven, and pulling out a perfectly golden loaf is beyond words.  I said a silent prayer before tentatively cutting into its steamy, golden crust and biting into its perfectly chewy, sour insides.  The entire experience gave me so much satisfaction that made all the lead up worth it.  To me, bread made from the heart is the undeniable expression of perfect love.   So, find a new passion and dig in!

Embracing self-love

We’re all guilty of it – the need to feel like taking care of the needs of others trumps looking out for ourselves.  But the old adage will always hold true – you can’t love anybody else until you learn to love yourself. That’s because when we love ourselves, we unlock any angst, selfishness, and self-centeredness that impedes our ability to be able to embrace and acknowledge the needs of those around us. So take advantage of this time when we actually can spend more “me-time” without having to make up an excuse for it. Buy yourself some flowers the next time you’re at the market, take a power yoga class (even if it’s online),  give yourself a pick-me-up manicure,  relax in a warm bath with one of our collagen treatment face masks – whatever makes you feel a little love.

Finding love on the flat screen

Almost overnight, we were forced to a world indoors, and connecting with others became a two-dimensional experience.  One bright light to shine from all of this came the emergence finding new and creative ways to use our mobile devices:  finding new virtual “friends” with similar interests on social media; discovering unexpected bingeworthy shows to watch; laughing through takes while trying to get the perfect TikTok clip shot; even figuring out how to make endless Zoom meetings tolerable by setting your meeting backdrop to be the middle of a farmland.  And of course, connecting with far-away friends over a virtual happy hour.  It might not be the same as sharing experiences in real life, but we have to admit it’s been fun finding new ways to love going mobile.

Relighting lost love

Is there someone in your life you lost touch with that may come to mind from time to time? There’s no better time than the present to rekindle that connection.  You never know – maybe they’ve been thinking of you, too. The world has a strange way of making magical moments happen.

Finding Love Within

Recentering your spiritual self has never been more important than now.  Mindfulness, or being present in the moment, is even more challenging in the times we’re currently living through, when all we want is to fast-forward now and for things to go back to normal.  With daily uncertainties and environmental stressors circulating around us, it’s easy to feel off-center.  Reiki, or the natural energy force that flows through all living things, can easily become unbalanced through life stressors and physical and emotional obstacles. Rebalancing your reiki energy allows you to let love flow through you and to those around you. Haven’t tried reiki healing? I offer a complimentary daily distanced reiki session to help you find your center. You can sign up on our Instagram here.

How are you finding new ways to love? We’d love for you to share your love stories with us in our #KNESKOMMUNITY