Let's call them "The Events of 2020," and let's admit their effects on individuals vary as widely as our fingerprints.
The Washington Post's health section features a man whose depression lifted as a result of quarantining; I have friends whose depressive symptoms have been triggered worse than ever. Raise your hand if you secretly enjoy the excuse not to socialize outside of your home. Raise a different hand if you crave a face-to-face, touch-infused crowd. Some have raised fists in protest marches, others have raised eyebrows. For each one who has settled into the comfort of working from home and earning a steady living, there is another one who is unemployed or forced to work in high-risk environments, quite literally struggling to survive.
The word "mayhem" derives from the same root word that means to "maim," or to permanently disfigure. It may be just apt to define our national moment this way, because we may never look the same as a nation again. In some regards, it's a sobering and/or terrifying prospect, and in others, a welcome change.
We're working hard here at the (virtual and actual) yoga studio to offer connection in this chaos, and mindfulness in this mayhem. We hope you're finding what you need.
