Day 375 – Reflections on Lockdown

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Today is my one year anniversary of running daily morning Qi Gong sessions on Zoom!

At the first part of lockdown restrictions a year ago, I would run two Qi Gong sessions every weekday one in the morning (09:10) and one in the evening (22:10).  Most of the time this would lead me to not starting the blog until after 11pm, so eventually the Bedtime Qi Gong became phased out!  But Daily Morning Qi Gong has kept going for the whole year – except for 3 1/2 weeks holiday, it’s run every weekday morning 🙂

Despite being hard at times, to get out of bed, whatever time I go to sleep at night – it’s great to have an enforced routine in my life.  I’ve been self employed for over 13 years and what I missed the most is the lack of enforced structure.  When I first became self employed I was so aware how hard it is to create a routine, which is ‘enforced’ when working in a regular job.  I’ve struggled over the 13 years to create that routine – but for the last year I’ve got it back with Qi Gong 🙂

If you are interested in trying the Qi Gong out, please get in touch.  It’s a small group that comes along – 4 to 7 people, you don’t need to have any experience in doing anything like it before – I teach it all.  The sessions start at 09:10 and finish at 09:35 (Monday to Friday), a perfect way to start each day!  Get in touch if you want to find out more!  You are welcome to just come a long to one session and see if you like it – no commitment to keep coming 🙂

 

The weather today has followed the same pattern of the last few days – half the day one thing, the other half another.  Yesterday (Day 374) it was thick cloud in the morning and clear blue skies in the afternoon.  Today it has been the other way round!

It was a glorious sunny, but cold morning.  There was frost on Discovery this morning, so a cold night!  But I decided to do Qi Gong outside today which was great, although by the end my hands were super cold!

After doing some work this morning, Honey and I ventured to The Meadows for a walk and headed to Graeme’s to collect some parcels.

Bruntsfield Links was exceptionally busy with lots of small groups out, suddenly remembering the “Stay at Home” message was lifted today.  Even the little dip which is where young children / families gather was busy!

 

At The Meadows a Pizza truck had appeared, which had a long queue.

Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of people out at The Meadows, but not as busy as I’ve seen it some days over the last two weeks.

As I wondered round observing the crowds, I realised that most of the people weren’t students, but younger people – teenagers.  In fact, one group asked if I would buy them some alcohol in the corner shop.

The energy and atmosphere reminded me of a festival…so much excitement, laughter, chatter and fun in the air.

 

With a small amount of police presence, but no police officers on foot breaking up the larger groups.

Remember we are still in the 6/2 Rule – up to 6 people from 2 households can meet – or is it 4/2 Rule (4 people from 2 households)?  If I can’t remember what the current outdoor restrictions are when I write about them so much in this blog, how can anyone else remember?!

 

Back at the boat, a few of my boat neighbours were outside having a drink, so Honey and I joined them.  The cloud was starting to clear up at the end of the evening.

 

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On This Day In History

A year ago today was Day 10

 

Here’s some extracts from that blog from Day 10

“The feeling is back – that something is missing.  It’s been lingering most of the day.

I have been re-reading Helen’s words – it does feel like an empty feeling.  A feeling of emptiness.

It’s a feeling I am not familiar with and does not feel very comfortable.  I have been trying not to push it away.  Not to fill it with something.  But it is a feeling I am not liking very much.

This feeling, is unfamiliar because I am living my everyday life.  As we don’t know how long this lock-down is going to go on for, there is no defined ending to it all.

Following on from yesterday’s blog, about being ‘human beings’.  I wonder, whether what I am connecting to – this empty space – is what it is truly to be human?

Glenn Roberts posted an interesting point on the comments at the end of yesterday’s blog.  He suggested, that perhaps one of our recurring mistakes is that we too easily think of the world, including ourselves, as objects rather than processes…So…to really be a human being…is to be a verb not a noun…To be a human…Being.

It makes sense!

Perhaps what I am starting to experience and feel – is my / our truer sense of being?”

 

This is what I wrote in my diary on Day 10

• • • Two Qi Gong sessions today for the first time – 09:10 and 22:10.
    • Exhausted – but first time to have some time structure in my life!
    • Bed at 00:26

 

Covid News Headlines on Day 10

• • • World cases are over 1m.
    • UK Government criticised for lack of tests.
    • Clap for NHS at 8pm
    • Scotland has 50 more deaths, which is a big increase.

 

TOTAL Covid Cases and Deaths on Day 10

 

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Lockdown Restrictions Corner

Today in Scotland, lockdown restrictions were eased from “Stay at Home” to “Stay Local”.  It’s been nearly 3 months we’ve had the “Stay at Home” message drummed into us.  It was on 5th January 2021 (Day 288) that the “Stay at Home” message was brought in.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56609154

We’ve been told to “stay local” within our local authority boundaries for the next 3 weeks.

 

As I was heading to bed last night (at 1.45am), this article was at the top of the feed of BBC news article ‘Every customer must sign in when pubs reopen’.  Usually when I look at the news again in the morning the headlines are the same, but today, this one has vanished!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56608632

 

Instead it was replaced by a backlash of many MPs against the Covid Passport – https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56605598

Although I like to keep this blog, out of politics, its interesting that the article from last night has been “hidden”.

The article says that when pubs, restaurants and cafes reopen in England all customers will have to sign in on entry, not just one member of the group like before.  Hospitality thinks this will stop customers going in resulting in less trade in an already struggling sector.  The government argues that having everyone sign in, will allow them to remove the early curfews in which pubs would have to shut early.

Those pubs, restaurants and cafes who don’t comply will be fined £1000.

It is clear that this debate is not over yet, it will be interesting to see what happens on 12th April (Day 385) when pubs, restaurants and cafes are allowed to open in England.

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Readers Corner

One sharing’s today.

 

Ivan

Ivan posted a Facebook comment on yesterday’s blog (Day 374) saying:

“Cracking day and a good read. Enjoy that beer pal!”.

Cheers Ivan 🙂

I’ll try and keep you a beer for when you next visit!!

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As I come to the end of this blog, I am starting to realise just how tiring it is to keep the blog going every night.  This evening, I was relaxing watching some Netflix, but still unable to totally relax with the thought of the blog needing to be written!  Also, as friends begin to gather in the evenings, I want to be able to go along and have fun, without the reminder that at some point before going to bed I will need to write the blog!

So I have come up with a plan, to keep it going daily until 26th April (Day 399), which is the day that everyone is talking about in Edinburgh.  Then I will write it when I get the inspiration to do so or there is something significant about lockdown restrictions to write about.

I have completed my year goal of writing a daily blog, it is time to take a break!

Hope you have had a fantastic start to your Easter Weekend 🙂

Jim x

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