In the world today, it is all too easy to feel isolated from one another. In modern culture, social gatherings and face-to-face conversations have been replaced with social media and texting, and people are feeling increasingly disconnected from their families, friends, and neighbors.
I recently read this article which discussed how strong, broad-based social support (the kind you tend to develop via in-person interactions) increases your odds of living longer by 91 percent. It also described that close connections have a proven impact on survival or quality of life for people facing health issues like cancer, stroke, dementia, depression, and diabetes.
There is no doubt yoga can bring people closer together. Sharing a yoga class can make strangers into friends as we work our way through a rejuvenating series of asanas together. And to join in a heartwarming Group Meditation (Kirtan) brings a sense of kinship like no other!
Photo: Group Meditation (Kirtan)
By following the path of yoga, we can cultivate genuine care and compassion for others, and thus experience a true sense of community. And as we grow spiritually, we will find that our feelings of inner peace and spiritual happiness will naturally increase.
In this way, being satisfied from within, we automatically have more harmony in our relationships with others. We will no longer feel like it is our spouse’s responsible for bringing us happiness. We will no longer feel like it’s up to our friends to fill our emptiness inside. And we will no longer feel like our children must provide us with boundless joy. We are free to love and cherish family and friends exactly as they are.
So let us put down our cell phones a little more often and make more time to be with the people we love. Let us get together with our family and engage in a morning session of yoga asanas before we start our busy day. Let us gather with friends for a relaxing evening of Group Meditation (Kirtan). Your relationships will blossom, and both your body and spirit will thrive.
Wishing you well,
Wai Lana
