I ran one of my favourite interval sessions today – Three minutes fast then two minutes jogging – repeated ten times.
As I raced along the road towards the – now very sparkly clean and fresh – River Thames, I saw a woman standing on the pavement in front of her house…
She stretched out her hand as I approached.
It is common practise when I am running in races to have this happen… Outstretched hands that reach out to be touched.
Connection on the move.
In the park too when I am training… Children wave, and put their hands in my path, and we make a connection… Touch – skin on skin.
Human contact.
Because I was running fast – ‘in the zone’ – in the step… I wasn’t in the world of Covid 19.
I was just running – free… Running towards another human being, whose hand was outstretched – to me – it seemed.
As I approached (fortunately) I heard her calling out… ’Two meters two meters’!
And so I ran on by, not touching her outstretched hand.
We yearn for touch, to be held, to know we are loved, and not alone…
We yearn to be together. Friends, colleagues, families…
We yearn to fill the pain of loneliness, and to connect through hugging and holding, sitting close, mingling in crowds.
We squish together at gigs and sporting events; we even travel this way on tubes.
We are familiar with the smell and warmth of other humans…
And so often, we avoid the pain of feeling lonely.
But now that we have been separated, many people are feeling the absence of others…
They are feeling lonely…
When we feel the pain of separation, when we grieve the loss of the physical presence of friends and loved ones…
We have the opportunity to be truly silent.
To clear this deep pain and yearning – this loneliness – this emptiness within.
.And so to be fully present within our self.
And instead of feeling the absence of others, when we are truly present within our self, there is no need for another to fill the void.
In alone ness we find we are whole.
We become a light unto ourselves.
And when we all shine our own light
Together we are so bright, that our powerful energy can heal the world