Leave a voice note!
Connect with your Sangha in a way that feels doable and pleasurable to you...
Hi and welcome to this week’s dose of Healthy Hedonism!
“I love leaving my friends a voice note.” Maria confessed over lunch one day. “It feels warm, I like it that they can hear it in my voice if I’m having a rough day. It is the next best thing to getting them on face Time across time zones.”
My friend Maria has recently moved to Paris from Mexico with her family. Raising two daughters, volunteering at a local non-profit… Maria has her hands full. Time and energy for a real time tête à tête with friends near or far is rare. But she is creative about nurturing connections. I too have been on the receiving end of Maria’s long voice notes and they are a treat - is this what it felt like to receive a letter back in the days?
Yoga sees Sangh (togetherness, community in Sanskrit) as an accelerator for wellbeing and spiritual development when you choose with caution — when you include in your Sangh those who energise and uplift you.
What I learnt from Maria is that there are many versions of how to nurture your Sangha. It does not have to mean braving the cold and showing up for drinks when all you want to do is stay home in your slippers.
Social withdrawal is a common experience in winter. A symptom of what science calls Seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as winter blues. We have all known these moments when we don't have the energy to engage even with those whose company we enjoy but we fear drifting away from them.
As days get longer and brighter, our appetite for connection gradually resurfaces, but if you are not at your 100% social best…
Show yourself some compassion and find a way to connect that feels doable and pleasurable to you — leave a voice note, send a card, invite a friend to take an online yoga class with you, suggest a smaller gathering…
Healthy Hedonism is a series of practical and pleasurable tips for winter wellbeing. 1 voice note and a written transcript by email every week for 7 weeks.
Until next week,
Love
Gayatri
Ps: If you have missed the past editions, catch up on them here: