Panic in the Time of the Pandemic

With the COVID-19 pandemic, I have experienced raised levels of anxiety and a few panic episodes. The fear of what might happen removes us from the present moment. It can become a constant and unhappy distraction from our activities, a deterrent from regular daily functions. The resulting chronic hypervigilance can be crippling and is often unseen or unrecognized.

As this and other health concerns continued in the early months of quarantine, my health was positively affected by implementing a daily regimen including all the elements of Justin Stone’s “Maximum Chi Program” (those who do not know Seijaku need to take a course to learn about this) and 40-minutes of meditation, using one of Justin’s recommended meditations and Turiya method.

Some my current medical conditions can have debilitating health consequences. With Seijaku and meditation, I have reduced pain and discomfort, and avoided extreme treatments commonly prescribed. One of my conditions affects the immune system.

Justin spoke of T’ai Chi Chih as a Qigong practice, not a martial art. TCC movements activate, balance and circulate the Chi. Incorporating the Seijaku principles into our practice enhances this even more so. After the initial two months of quarantine, unconsciously I had become distracted from my daily regimen by stress, worry, fear and situations on the home front that had become increasingly challenging. By the time I realized what was happening, it was almost too late: I was reaching a point of no return.

TCC and Seijaku help us live and stay in the present moment. It is life-changing to realize that time is an illusion. There is only the ever-present now. Remaining in that center is difficult when our world is turned upside down as it has been by this pandemic.

Words from Justin in the TCC Photo Text speak of the practitioner making their own program. This advice has been lifesaving for me. I expect that the health benefits of TCC and Seijaku can be unlimited when we learn how to apply, on a consistent and continual basis, what Justin has taught us.