by Sonam Paldon, Tibetan woman/Yoga teacher
The world post-covid will be dramatically different from the world we lived in, enjoyed and shared with our family and colleagues before the virus. A great proportion of the population, especially in the developed countries, won’t be prepared in the morning putting their smart dresses on before driving to the concrete structure with the files piled up inside – the so-called “OFFICE”. Instead, they will be working whilst wearing just a shirt and, if necessary, a tie, through the windows of the virtual world with just panties or comfortable pyjamas on down below.
Shifting from the structural office to the virtual office will drastically reduce air pollution as, across the world, people will no longer be driving to and from the office every day.
This new mode of life will allow people to spend more time with their families – something which many were deprived of in the previous paradigm and led to the separation of families and extramarital affairs. At the same time, people working from home need to exercise a degree of self-discipline and focus which is often not so easy as in your office given the family scenario.
Yes, for many of us covid has taken family members and many have had to go through long periods of isolation and prohibitions on travel and freedom for months. This situation has certainly tickled the buttons of mental and emotional trauma for every one of us. But has there been any revolution in human history without much sacrifice and such pain? Blood has been shed, lives have been taken, races have been extinguished. Histories and traditions are erased or replaced to make some prominent changes when needed. So, maybe covid is not just an alien virus attacking our body for 14 days. Maybe it is ‘The force’ which was needed in the evolution of humans & the eco-system.
We used to take everything for granted. The breath we take every second, the air, the freedom to travel and meet. Now we value nature, appreciate the breath and the air. We are even grateful simply to meet a friend, a minute of walking without a mask and travelling when needed, not when wanted.
Covid has taught, particularly in the developing countries like where I am in India, that technology possesses great potential in the academic and professional sphere and does not only have to be used to serve the interests of gamers and social media addicts. For example, I started taking online yoga at the end of the first wave with my students or clients in France with me teaching from Dharamshala. The physical distance didn’t matter as much as it did before.
Besides that, in my society, we have zero or very limited awareness of mental health and I won’t be wrong to say that this has been “THE STEP” where we started speaking openly about it.
No need to say that covid has produced great chefs and yogis and yoginis!!!!
Lastly, from my perspective as a yoga teacher; I would like to share my wishful thoughts.
Many of us have lived very tense lives for the sake of productivity. The Dalai Lama once said people are “Earning when they are young and healthy & spending the whole of that hard-earned money in the hospital later in their lives”. Many tell me that they don’t have 30mins time for yoga and meditation. I believe that covid has taught us, and I would emphasize this lesson to all the dear brothers and sisters around the world; that if you want to be productive in the long term – Yoga and meditation are the way. These methods are like seeds that bloom and roots that ground. That is the key to happiness and success is just complimentary along the way. Those ancient pearls of wisdom are not just for people in the caves of the Himalayas or retreat centres in the deep forest to practice, but for everyone to live, benefit, enjoy & share for a (B3) – balanced happy life, a balanced sustainable eco-system and for balancing your weight on the scales.
