By Palak Bhatt, Reiki Master | Mindfulness Coach | Founder of Midas Touch
There are moments when the weight of the world feels like too much to carry. In Nairobi today, that weight is real. The echoes of mandamano, the tears of those mourning lives lost in June and now again, and the silence left behind by souls who will never return it is more than just a difficult week. It is grief, anger, fear, confusion, and exhaustion all sitting heavy in our hearts.
In times like these, wellness is not a luxury. It is a lifeline.
Many of us are quietly suffering. Some of us are unable to sleep. Others are waking with panic in the chest or holding back tears during daily routines. Whether we witnessed the violence firsthand or felt it from afar through headlines and whispers in the streets, we are all affected. Trauma does not need proximity. It only needs presence. And right now, it is present in our city, our communities, and our nervous systems.
So what can we do?
Image credit: Kindel Media
The answer is not to run away from the pain, but to pause with it to hold it gently. To give it space to breathe. We cannot solve the suffering of the world in a day, but we can begin to soften our own. And that begins with mindfulness.
Mindfulness is not about pretending everything is okay. It is not about ignoring the injustice or silencing the rage. Mindfulness is about noticing what is here and holding it with compassion. It is the simple but powerful act of sitting with our experience whatever that may be instead of pushing it away.
Try this:
Pause. Place your hand on your chest. Take a long, slow breath in. Let your exhale be just as long. Notice the sensation of your hand rising and falling with each breath. Feel your own heartbeat. You are here. You are alive. And you are not alone.
In moments of overwhelming emotion, come back to this breath. Let it anchor you in the now.
We can also lean into community. Check in on your people. Sit with someone in silence. Share a meal. Offer a word of kindness. Grief is less heavy when held together.
Image credit: Forty Four The Goat
And finally, we must remember that peace is not the absence of pain, but the presence of awareness. It is choosing to respond instead of react. It is choosing to feel without shutting down. It is allowing your heart to break open rather than harden.
In these tender days, may we remember we are stronger when we stand together. In grief, in healing, in silence, and in action. We are not alone. We carry each other through.
Nairobi, we are in this together. Let us grieve. Let us feel. But let us also heal. Not by bypassing the truth, but by embracing it fully and then gently walking toward the light one breath at a time.
Standing with you, in love and peace,
— Palak Bhatt
Love & Light
Palak Bhatt
Mindfulness Coach & Reiki Master
0742433212