Par Sophie Nougué

The imminent prospect of the end of confinement in France provokes in my body a measured impatience. This feeling, unknown until then in the catalog of my curiosities, invites me to the greatest self-empathy.

When I connect to what gives me the most joy, what is the most precious, the most living inside each of my cells, I thank the Universe and my lucky star for giving me the love of life. So why not just be impatient?

If I want this time in parenthesis to last a little longer, it is because it invites me to rediscover essential needs, such as belonging to a community, compassion, cooperation, inspiration and gratitude for all that life generously offers us.

Since the beginning of confinement, I practice meditation every day. I’m discovering how real it is for body and mind, and I’m happy to feel the need. I had already tried several times to introduce meditation into my life, without being able to discipline myself beyond a few days. I was unable to make sense of the void and to feel how inseparable the void and the full are.

Today, meditation refines my ability to be in touch with my inner energy, the one that opens naturally to the outside. I like to feel it radiate from the bottom of my heart and draw a broad smile on my face. My joy is full of everything I give up in terms of beliefs and illusions. It anchors me in the present, in what is happening and nothing else. It strengthens my serenity, my confidence, I feel calm, courageous and available to support my friends, relatives and acquaintances.

I appreciate every second in what is unique and intense about it. I simplify the list of things to think, do, listen to and add a dose of lightness. Everything is important and nothing really is. Accepting the duality of life gives value to each act of everyday life, makes it unique and essential. Resting, dancing, writing, picking a branch of parsley, listening to a bird and flying away with it is a pleasure that delights my inner child.

I am touched by the generosity of men and women, their kindness, the resilience and the immense love they display to make sense of this new era. I realize how making the choice to live in harmony increases our capacity and desire for transformation tenfold. In the workshops, trainings, conferences, yoga or Gaga dance lessons in which I participate via Zoom or Webinars, very many and beautiful people make this confinement a field of possibilities to continue living together and not everyone confined to their home. his fears.

Learning to put the living back at the center of one’s life, nourishing this need for bond and belonging, contributes to the well-being of all. To feel and to circulate this energy, to support this magic flow, to carry the intention of this benevolence as much for oneself as for the other is a splendid happiness.

That’s why I like this confinement. Giving and receiving happiness, giving free rein to your imagination and your expression to transcend walls, borders, cultures, sometimes at the risk of his life, with this hope of drawing a better world is an act of humility that provokes all my admiration.

Picture: Biarritz, Old Woman looking at the see. During confinement each person is allowed to an hour’s walk outside his home.