Can we find gratitude from COVID?

Back in March when things got shut down, we didn't think it would last. Here we are over six months later, and life still isn't the same. Quarantine forced the world to slow down. Very early on, I made up my mind that I could not focus on all the bad. If I did, it would eventually eat away at me, and I would be miserable. Not saying I didn't and don't have bad days, because I do. I have an eight going on fifteen year old at home, and he tests me every day, trust me I know it's hard. How parents with more than one do it, I have no idea. Please know you are amazing!! But I had to shift my mindset. I had to look for the positives, take moments to reflect on what I was grateful for, more than ever. My dogs have loved quarantine. We were able to take them on more walks, and were home all of the time, which is huge for Dasher, who has separation anxiety. Austin learned to ride his bike over the summer. "Mimi Q'", our sourdough starter, was born. (I will share the blog post we followed) I've probably never eaten better, because almost everything is home cooked so I know exactly what is going into my food. Virtual yoga and workouts are definitely not the same, but made movement accessible and convenient. Live classes are the next best thing to in person, And thats just to name a few. Here is the big one. I've wanted for a long time to open my own yoga studio. And with a looming pandemic, not sure that will happen anytime soon in a physical space. But I have been and will continue to work in creating and growing a virtual community. To maintain connections. I have been able to continue teaching, both in person,(outside) and virtually. My NEW goal is to "open" a virtual studio. I believe that virtual yoga has no limit, the reach and impact is immeasurable and I am excited to see where it takes me. And I have covid to thank for it. Without being forced to stay home, I would never have figured out as a yoga teacher how can I still connect and reach my students, I never gave myself the time to focus on creating my place in the yoga world, until being put in timeout. A meme I came across early on in quarantine shared this quote, “Kinda feeling like the Earth just sent us all to our rooms to think about what we’ve done.” We all need to slow down and pause. What good came out of the pandemic in your life?