I have a piece of art hanging in my kitchen. It is very meaningful to me as this was a gift from my parents. I remember the day they gifted this to me. It was at a low point in my life. This piece of art was exactly what I needed at the time. On it, it reads, “You don’t have to face the world alone”. These are simple words yet so profound. This message nudged me in the right direction…out of isolation and into community with others.

Humans are social beings. We were born to live in community with others. There is all of this societal stress to be “independent”. Why?! Independence is not innate nor natural for humans. Now don’t get me wrong, codependency is not ideal either. It’s all about finding a healthy balance between independence and codependency.

Sangha is a sanskrit term that I learned in my yoga practice. Sangha is defined as a group of like-minded people, usually walking the same spiritual path. Sangha is different from family and friends. Sangha is more about finding a group of “like-minded” people searching the same purpose in life. Sangha is a beautiful way to find this delicate balance between independence and codependency.

Do you ever find yourself struggling in isolation? Do you keep secrets to yourself at the expense of being a burden to your loved ones? Join the club! This is so common. Most of us suffer in silence. AND secrets keep us sick so we must come out of our caves of isolation and find a group of people to be our sangha.

Where to start? Look within to see where and when you feel isolated and lonely. Maybe you feel all alone when dealing with your grief, depression, addiction, etc. Perhaps you feel lost with your spirituality and you crave connection with others to practice your spiritual principles. Or perhaps you crave support over your weight-loss goals and you want to join an exercise cohort. Your sangha starts with you. It starts with deep introspection and then it ends in community with others. The internet is a gift at our fingertips! Feel free to search local (fill in the blank) groups near you to join your sangha.

The group attached to this blog, Our Hour, is my sangha. I receive support, connection and healing with the members of Our Hour. Our Hour is an open group and always there to welcome new members to join this sangha. Remember, “You don’t have to face the world alone”.