How to Thrive Through Connection?
One huge lesson from attending The Awakened Woman’s conference was the power of people to uplift and transform. Community, tribe, family, sangat – whatever you would like to call it. I learnt this through Kundalini Yoga, because the more people who attend the more powerful the group energy and the faster things can change/heal in us because we leverage from this collective energy field. This I have come to realise also holds true in life – on one hand, yes we do need to be independent, strong, able to take care of our self, capable etc… but at the end of the day we are tribal, we thrive in tribe, in community because our heart longs to connect, be accepted, be seen, feel we belong and receive the loving energy from others.
We live in a segmented society specifically in ‘The West’, so isolation is rife if we don’t consciously make decisions in life to increase our level of connection. So what am I talking about? Well, the majority of apartments in major cities are filled with single inhabitants, we are glued to our tv screens, phones etc… so why if our inherent nature is to be together are we isolating ourselves so much? If you visit Bali, India, Nepal etc you will see people living very much intertwined; closely sharing life with one another, and their smiles, energy and radiance is magnetic and so beautiful to experience..
I sometimes find it funny when I look around and see all of the ‘western’ people flocking to places like Bali, India, Nepal. From what I understand part of this call is because deep down we are craving this natural way of living, we are looking for our tribe, to feel connected, be a part of the family – to belong, a sense of returning home because it is a natural part of our humanity.
So the question is, why are all these well educated urban dwellers living so disconnected and apart? It is because the city and life is so hectic, we are being pulled outside of our self every day through adverts, people, i phones, email, work etc etc… we don’t know what’s going on inside, so when we feel uncomfortable emotions instead of connecting to them and processing them we turn to instant gratification (a form of attachment which can only lead to suffering) to fill ourself up with consumption rather than connection because we are living unconsciously as life is so fast paced – we think we don’t have time to take moments of time to self reflect.
So, how do we live more consciously, how do we thrive through connection? The news is good, because we are the creators of our life, we can make conscious choices for how our life will be….
1. Consider living in a shared house or with a house mate
2. Join a yoga studio or some kind of establishment where you can engage in enjoyable activity and socialise
3. Connect to your family more; skype, sms, video chat or in person, there are so many ways
4. Build your own tribe. Start a meetup group with something you are passionate about
5. Ask for support. Don’t pretend everything is ok if it is not. Speak your truth and call your good friend or family member when you need to speak about what is bothering you
6. Build community connections around healthy environments i.e visit your local parks and while exercising socialise, same with the beach, walks, cafes
7. Get to know your energy; do you need ‘me time’ and are craving to hibernate, rest, recharge, read a book or are you longing for social interaction, conversations, self expression, partying, fun….. how is your soul longing to express itself and connect? It’s all about balance and knowing what you need with where your at.
8. Create a safe space. When we feel safe, held, connected, at home etc magical things happen. Conversations flow, energy moves, simply put – connection heals as our energy can flow and clear our blocks. Spend time with people who respect, honour and lift you up.
9. Most of all though, connect with yourself, because we can only connect with others to the degree with which we have connected to our self. I always remember Yogi Ji saying “you can only bless another once you’ve learnt to bless yourself first.”
Love Alexis xxx
Source http://www.alexishannagan.com/free-wisdom/how-to-thrive-through-connection/
