In 2015 I was starved for connection. I had been a stay at home mom for three years, lost belief in the religion I was raised in, and had no idea how to make friends as an adult. My home yoga practice, which I had started a year earlier, was on the back burner because I was pregnant with my second baby. To say the least, I was floating in a sea of loneliness and desperate for a lifeline.
I have always been incredibly self-sufficient, so I threw myself a lifeline in the form of a yoga teacher training. Once that training began, I LIVED for the weekends when we would have training. All of the connection I desperately craved was beginning to be satiated. It was like a sip of the purest water after trekking across the Sahara. I was intellectually stimulated, physically challenged, connecting with like-minded people, and for the first time in my life, was making a genuine connection with myself. Who knew that was even a thing? I sure didn't. I was beginning a journey back to myself that would slowly awaken me to the realization that I am limitless. We ALL are limitless.
I was not prepared to end the teacher training journey, and when it did, I felt lost once again and did not know how to sustain that connection, especially since I lived so far from the training studio. Some of you have heard this story before, but this is exactly what sparked the idea to open Old Town Yoga. I wanted a local space that could facilitate this ongoing journey not just for myself, but for others. A place where self-discovery and connections were fostered. At that time, I believed that I was merely one of just a few lonely, disconnected souls in this world; I quickly realized it was the opposite.
Our world has become increasingly isolated, independent and disconnected, so much so that psychologists are calling this epidemic of loneliness the next biggest health crisis since obesity and substance abuse. Humans are wired for connection. One of the highest correlating factors to happiness is having a strong sense of community. This is evident is the “Blue Zones” where life expectancy and vitality are highest in the world. When the need for connection is not filled, there are all sorts of repercussions, including heightened anxiety, depression, poor sleep, weight gain and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Never underestimate the empowering effect of human connection.
All you need is that one person, who understands you completely, believes in you and makes you feel loved for what you are, to enable you - to unfold the miraculous YOU.”
― Drishti Bablani, Wordions
Still, realizing this is a problem is only step one towards resolution. As our world has become more digital, our in-person connections have drastically decreased, and finding places to connect with others who are like-minded is no easy feat, especially as an adult. If all we do is go from work to home and back to work, how do we expect to expand our connections and relationships?
Me and my Swedish host daughter, Julia. One of my most treasured connections that only came about because we both took major risks in putting ourselves “out there.”
Since taking the leap to enter teacher training, and eventually open the studio, I have gained relationships and connections that, to me, are priceless gifts. I have seen others gain the same valuable connections, yet to do so they all had to overcome fear that was holding them back.
Putting yourself out into the world on any level is terrifying. Rejection by some is inevitable and terribly painful, but full, authentic acceptance by others brings a fulfillment that is difficult to articulate. If it’s been a while since you’ve felt that, take a chance. I want to encourage you to begin making meaningful connections in your life, because they are just as vital to your health as eating right and exercising. Try something new. Start a conversation with someone new. Say yes to an offer you might usually say no to. Take a chance on the thing that’s been in the back of your mind. You just might make a connection with someone who will open your world and completely change your life.