Are We In A Whirlpool?

Change And More Change

This is a transformational time. We are experiencing change on so many levels. There is no endpoint in sight or even markers along the way. Uncertainty surrounds us. In other times of change, we often had some sense of where we were going. During a time of war, we looked towards the end of war and achieving peace. We could picture what we yearn for.

Present day, do we even know what we yearn for? So much of what used to be “normal” is gone. There are new practices, protocols and fears. What will our future look like? We really don’t know. And because we are in new territory, are we able to see what is ahead? Honestly, no. We’re lucky if we can see around the next corner.

What we do know is that there is more and more change. It is not letting up. The pandemic has radically altered our way of life. We are resisting or acclimating to the way life is now. Around the world there is so much disparity in how people are experiencing these changes, adding to the chaos of this time.

Backwards And Forwards

Change is going in every direction. A few months ago, in the United States, it was looking as if we were emerging from the worst of the pandemic and related restrictions. Now mandates are coming back, case numbers are rising and restrictions we thought were gone, are back. We are again adjusting to change.

The polarity we are experiencing – mentally, physically and emotionally – is swinging wildly. It seems we cannot come together. Instead of unity, there is separation. This can lead to fear, which helps us not at all. In a time of change, unity and level-headedness can be so helpful. Polarity creates confusion, animosity and suspicion – not at all what we need to weather this change.

As we are tossed to and fro, we try to find our centers. Then, more change occurs. It leaves us unsure of the next steps to take. It is difficult to see ahead. We bump into each other and it is easy to lose our bearings. We try to adjust as the floor beneath us shifts once again. It is challenging to get used to this back and forth.

How To Center In A Whirlpool

Is it even possible? Centering in a whirlpool may be more about flow than anything else. Trying to find stability is futile in churning and shifting waters. We can aim for a balance of flow and centering – finding ways to keep our center as we, and the world, continue in motion.

Our ability to flow and center depends on our being fully in the present moment. That is the best we have. There is no past to look back to and the future hasn’t come yet. Looking back or trying to see the future distracts us from our current reality and gains us nothing. As challenging as the present may be, it is the place to keep ourselves.