You are born to be a connected and social creature.
Connecting deeply with yourself to create autonomy and sovereignty in all areas of your life allows you to become clear on your purpose, therefore helping support the collective and communal dream and vision.
Social connection, shared experience, and tribal association are essential for not only our individual health but the health of society. We need one another to help build our physical and psychological well-being and support in reciprocating that for one another. Unfortunately, we live in a time where loneliness, social disconnection, and depression are at an all-time high, in part due to the culture in which we live in.
Connecting to nature is essentially, communing with where you came from. Regardless of your belief systems, our physical/material bodies are composed of the same elements that make up what we find in nature. Our bodies come from nature and will also return to it.
All that being said, we need to be vigilant about connecting with ourselves, others, and nature, as connection truly is medicine, and our lives depend on it.
WAYS TO CONNECT
Connection with self and other can be cultivated in various ways depending on what resonates with you.
SELF
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dancing/movement expression
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playing music
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being in nature
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meditation
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creating art; drawing, painting, sculpting
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writing and journaling
COMMUNITY
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sharing yourself vulnerably with in-person or digital community
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sitting in a council gathering for problem-solving within a company/business/family
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intimate connection with a romantic partner
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attending or organizing intentional gatherings for a celebration
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engaging in honest/loving communication with a friend
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gathering in spiritual community for ceremony/prayer
NATURE
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going outdoors and praying to/honoring nature
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joining groups that educate on foraging and survival skills
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sitting in a ceremony that honors an aspect of the plant kingdom
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barefoot hiking and or forest/river/lake bathing
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volunteering to plant trees or support wildlife
BENEFITS OF CONNECTION
There are a multitude of benefits to connecting with self / other.
We can internally make our physiology more robust and anti-fragile (unbreakable) as well as strengthen our mental and emotional well-being. There is also a deeper connection to spirit that comes when connecting deeply to self and other.
- Physically. Social connection can “improve a patient’s weight management, diabetes control, hypertension, mood, and even immune function” – National Library of Medicine.
- Mental/Emotionally. Feeling connected to your emotions and inner wisdom allows for a deeper sense of peace, ease and flow. It also provides clarity to your purpose and place in the world, bringing worthiness and confidence into your life’s endeavors. Positive social feedback affects certain parts of the brain (nucleus accumbens) associated with the production and release of dopamine, which can in turn decrease feelings of depression.
- Spiritually. Feelings of connectedness, empathy / compassion, and a closer and more peaceful relationship with mortality often inspires a deeper spirituality. Spiritual connection with self can also harbor feelings of connectedness with the greater whole, producing a powerful sense of well-being, purpose and overall one-ness.
CONNECT THROUGH WRKEN
When you connect deeply with yourself, especially in a safe space with others, it allows for you to move through sometimes challenging emotions or to be radically present with feelings of joy, ease and peace. This is exactly the purpose of the “Connection” pillar of Wrken.
We do this by calling in the subtle awareness of our senses:
- What do we see? (either inner or outer vision)
- What do we hear? (music, sounds of nature)
- What do we smell? (what is our olfactory sense picking up on)
- What do we touch? (skin on our clothes, the wind blowing through our hair, barefoot on a wooden floor)
- What do we taste? (remnants of consumable essential oils)
- What do we feel? (awarenesses of our inner state of emotions and feelings)
When practicing Wrken solo, connecting with the senses mentioned above allows for deeper presence with the self. And with that, the more space we create to be truly present with our own being allows for a deeper knowing and understanding of oneself — a deeper connection.
To add a deeper layer of connection to the experience: putting your bare feet outside on the ground cultivates a connection to the earth and nature.
When we do this we get all of the positive ions from the earth as well as exposure to the sun which improves circadian rhythm and absorption of vitamin D – all of which improve mood and help with our natural waking-sleep cycles.
When joining a Wrken Ceremony, connecting with community and having the opportunity to relate authentically by listening and seeing others from your heart and finding resonance with the others in the circle, brings a deeper sense of compassion, empathy, and oneness.
This practice of Wrken and connecting with yourself and other can be deeply cathartic and soothing for your soul. When this connection is made, you leave the practice to integrate back into daily life with the awareness to embody this new state of being (however that looks for you). This can allow for a more loving and co-operative connection with loved ones and all the communities/relationships you serve.
RESOURCES FOR EXPLORING CONNECTION
Kanna (sceletium tortuosum) is an empathogenic plant — 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 — from South Africa. Empathogenic means that it’s working to open up your heart, increase feelings of empathy, and help you feel more connected.Use code “WRKEN” for 10% off products at Hearthstone Collective.
Wrken Connection Playlist — Click play to connect deeply.
Wrken Ceremony — In our Wrken Ceremonies, we explore connection in this deeply felt experience, as well as movement and breath for optimal health and vitality. Join us for a Movement Meditation Workshop or a Wrken Men’s Circle.