Connection

Last week the thought was around "Alone Time", carving out space in our daily lives to simply be present with ourselves. That of course makes the assumption that everyone is surrounded by hectic schedules, traffic and no "me time".

But what about those in our communities who live by themselves, are retired or work from their home office? Do they have too much alone time?

Writing from the yogic perspective where the constant underlying theme is around recognizing imbalance, it would be remiss of me not to balance out my own writings by considering both solitude and connection.

We, as human beings, are social by nature. We seek the company of others. In the book, "The Female Brain" by Louann Brizendine, she talks about the various stages of hormones that wash through female brains, particularly estrogen and during the junior high school years, that result in young teens making it their mission to connect with others.

A strong memory from that period of my own life was how many people you could say "hi" to as you walked between classes. I was on a serious quest to up my number of hellos on a daily basis. I wasn't alone...the other girls were doing it too! The teenage popularity contest was well underway.

Research on longevity indicates that those people living in the identified "blue zones" around the world have a few common elements that have granted the population at large quality in their latter years. They include a largely plant based diet, regular physical activity, a spiritual affiliation and yes...a supportive and extended community of family and friends. Instead of elders living away from others, they are included as an integral part of the social networks.

They stay connected.

Living well means finding time by yourself everyday to explore your inner voice and need. It is balanced out with having relationships that support you on your path of evolution. We can't do it alone. It does take a village.

So, after your morning meditation, call up a friend and meet over a nice cup of tea...that'll do it!