I remember back to school season when I was a kid. New backpacks, new clothes. Fresh crayons and pots of Play-Doh. The only worry I had back then was whether or not I could keep my new shoes clean by the end of the week. Things look much different now. I never went to school wearing a mask unless it was Halloween. Now, most kids are wearing them to go back to school, color-coordinated with their brand new backpacks.
With coronavirus still circulating in most areas, the decision to send kids back to school after months of quarantine has been a challenge for most parents.
I spent weeks this summer debating whether or not we should send my daughter back to school. I analyzed the data on new cases, deaths, patients in ICU, and spread in our local community. I asked friends near and abroad their thoughts, and finally made the most informed decision I could. I prayed, stocked up on masks and hand sanitizer, and sent her on. And yet, I still wonder if I made the right decision.
When it comes to your children, there’s nothing you won’t do to keep them safe and healthy. But no matter what you do these days, it’s hard to feel like your decisions will guarantee your child’s safety. You can’t control the universe. Or other people. Or how far a stubborn but deadly virus can travel. But what you can do is have a little faith. Have some faith that you’re taking the right steps within your standards for health and risk exposure to keep your family healthy.
Yoga has given me the mental resilience I needed to guide me through these difficult times. It’s helped me sit with my emotions, to come to decisions from a place of stillness, to tune out the anxieties about the “what ifs”, and tune in to real facts of the moment and assess my overall state of being from there.
I encourage you to use yoga to help you find some faith in yourself and confidence in your ability to make the right decision for your family. No matter if you’re sending your child back to school or not, just know that the best thing you can do is make your decision from a place of love. Be kind to yourself along the way, and tune into your heart and your mind to help guide you through what will certainly be an extraordinary school year.