I've just returned from an *amazing* in-person experience with 100+ people I've known for 18 months, but only online. There was so much joy and such a deep feeling of belonging... Let's just say, it made an impression. I now feel rejuvenated, inspired, energized, and able to more clearly take on what's right in front of me. Thing is, there wasn't any medicine there. No pills. No procedures. No exams. No chicken soup or lime Jell-o. No mom. There wasn't exactly enough sleep or even any periods of rest and relaxation. So, what was the medicine? Why do I feel so great?
Connection y'all, it's connection. As humxns, we are all wired for connection. To pretend we're not or to try to find some way to bypass the need is to deny our nature. Straight up. I try not to preach. No one wants to hear that shit, but sometimes there's a thing that's true enough to be named as such. The more connected I am to other humxns the better I feel, the better I function, and the more willing and able I am to do the hard things that make life worthwhile. Any remedy for what ails me just has to have a juicy dose of connection to others. I'm not leaving that out, now matter how potent the herbal tea is!
Part of the meaning of life is embracing connection as part of what makes us us.
This month, Authentic Oakland invites you to join us in exploring Connection as Medicine. We'll see you on July 11th at Lake Merritt to practice connecting, seeking the edges of vulnerability, and feeling the healing.