TO TRAVEL to Italy, a country with a skyrocketing number of Covid-19 infections daily and with the highest death toll rate in Europe, was one of the bravest moves I have ever done.
While most people avoided outdoors for fear of catching the virus, I was out doing my pranayama (breathing exercises), asanas and walks, in the company of nature, armed with lemon juice with honey drink to secure my lungs’ health and overall immune system. Aside from this, I figured that as long as you practice the basic safety health protocols and listen to your inner guide, nothing could go wrong.
The journey from Manila to Rome, Italy, was about 20 hours. What a sense of relief when I set foot at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. The clearance process from the immigration to the customs was smoothly executed and impressive. Luckily, the standard health declaration card and the form whereyou state the address of your quarantine place was all they required and no further questions asked. The anticipation of strictness and interrogation from the immigration police which repeatedly played in my mind while in the plane, given the pandemic spread concerns, turned out to be a mere illusion.
In Italy, you have the freedom to choose where you want to spend your 14 days quarantine. The rule is simple. You need to have your own room. In case you opt to stay in a house, avoid close contact with the people in the same abode and stay inside the property for full 14 days.
I am so grateful that I have generous kind friends around the universe. My beautiful Italian friend Daniella asked me to stay in her spacious grand villa as long as I wanted as she works abroad. I took the offer delightedly.
The mesmerizing greens and spellbinding sky view from my charming cozy room were priceless. Every morning I visited her lush garden full of dazzling aromatic helichrysum blooms, orange and lemon trees with bountiful fruits which I gloriously savored without guilt.
The spacious kitchen ignited back my passion for cooking and opened opportunity to eat sattvic meals daily. All the works to live comfortably was in place. A laundry room, a dining area inside and outside, a shala with a nice lounge set, a space at the backyard to exercise – where I relished the vitamin D shower from Surya (sun), every morning.
After my quarantine was up, I opted to continue my self-isolation for another week. The embrace of tranquility, peace and comforting sound of silence, was intoxicating and addicting. I felt enveloped by a holistic serenity, inside and out, which invaded up to the tiniest cell of my system. When you get to swim in this deep seat of consciousness, you will fully understand and stop wondering why monks choose to live a humble and quiet way of life.
Every day, I lighted two sticks of natural raw incense, chanted my mantras, yoga, reflected on the flow of different happenings in the world and chatted online with my humorous friends. My days passed cheerily.
Our state of mind truly plays a vital role in all our undertakings. During the national lockdown in Italy, people were still allowed to go to the parks, supermarkets and churches, observing social distancing. The government recognizes the importance of people’s mental health
My quarantine experience in Italy turned out so good and unexpectedly rewarding. It rebooted the functions of my whole being. I felt physically stronger, my mind clearer, my heart warmer, overall happier. As a matter of fact, I don’t mind to be quarantined for life.
It is evident that the coronavirus and the other variants emerging are not the only deadly diseases to watch out for and fought against, but rather the more dangerous social ills that ignores honesty, dignity, and transparency.
According to Pope Francis’ message this year 2021, a culture of care is the path to peace and healing. It is the way to combat indifferences and confrontations that areso prevalent in our time. He stressed that after this global phenomenon, everything will never be the same again. Some people will come out better and someworse. A simple message, with a profound meaning.
May the force and light be with you always.
